2004 Santa Barbara News-Press Article on Dr.B.K. Rai

What is spa dentistry?

Unlike a traditional dentist office we are a state of the art facility providing superior quality dental care in a relaxing and soothing spa like atmosphere with scented candles, water fountains, warm towels and chair massagers to help reduce the anxiety and fear factor that is usually associated with a visit to the regular dentist office. We really care about our patients and their well being is very important to us. I have a wonderful staff that goes to great lengths to ensure that our patients are comfortable and satisfied,

If a patient comes in and says “I don’t like my smile. What can I do to fix it” what would you tell them?

In all smile enhancement cases I start with a “Smile Evaluation” using digital photography and depending on the individual case I may perform one or more procedures including teeth whitening, laser gum contouring, composite or porcelain veneers or all porcelain crowns. Sometimes a patient may even need some minor tooth movement with braces to obtain ideal position of the teeth that is harmonious with their face. As a member of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry I am held to a very high standard and therefore go to great lengths to ensure a superior quality of work and the result is very gratifying to my patients.

A patient comes in that has not been to the dentist in many years and they need extensive dental treatment, including multiple missing teeth, broken down teeth and are experiencing jaw / joint pain. How would you handle it?

A majority of the time the TMJ symptoms are bite related and especially in a person with multiple missing or broken down teeth the problem may be even more pronounced. Therefore the goal is to rebuild the mouth in an ideal bite. Since I specialize in bite correction and full mouth reconstruction I start with making moulds and models of the teeth to stimulate the upper and lower jaws and I reconstruct the persons bite , first with a wax mockup on the models and then in the mouth. Again depending on the case, this may require placing implants, grafting tissue, bridgework, multiple crowns & veneers to obtain the desired result. This generally is a life changing experience for most people.