Firouzian Dentistry

If you are looking for an incredible cosmetic dentist in Columbus, Ohio who serves the entire metro area, then you have come to the right place. Cosmetic dentistry is the art and science of designing wonderful smiles. It involves all aspects of general dentistry with a special emphasis on individual teeth and their overall harmony and balance in your smile. With advances in modern dentistry, there’s no reason you should be unhappy with the way your teeth look. Psychologists have proven that a beautiful smile enhances your personal appearance and improves your self-confidence. If you don’t like your smile, cosmetic dentistry may be for you. And Dr. Firouzian in Columbus, Ohio, is an exceptionally qualified dentist in cosmetic dentistry.

As a general rule, you should see your dentist twice a year, or every six months. These visits typically include cleaning, an examination of oral tissues to detect lesions, lumps or other abnormalities, and an evaluation of the health of your gums. About once a year, Dr. Firouzian’s experienced general dentistry staff will provide fluoride treatments to keep your teeth strong. Dr. Firouzian will also take X-rays periodically, based on a regular schedule and on your personal needs and history.

If decay is detected during your exam, you might require dental fillings or dental crowns. You might also need treatment for gum disease or gingivitis. If this is diagnosed early, treatment will be relatively simple and non-invasive. Dr. Firouzian will offer options for treatments of extreme sensitivity, damaged teeth, abnormal oral tissues or other problems detected during the exam.

Although Dr. Firouzian is a general dentist, he has completed numerous programs in orthodontics and thus he is able to provide orthodontic treatment for adults and children.

Adults appreciate cosmetic smile improvement with traditional braces or retainers at any age, and many opt for Invisalign, the invisible braces. In some cases, minor cosmetic issues may even be corrected with porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

For children and adolescents, we utilize the Healthy Start system to correct thumb habits, deep bites, cross bites and crowded teeth. With children, we have a two-phase approach. In phase one, we recommend orthopedic appliances for children ages 5-12 that can be used for habits such as tongue thrusting and thumb sucking, underdeveloped or narrow jaws, mouth breathing, or cross bite. In phase two, we recommend braces for adolescents ages 12-14 to straighten teeth.

We are also the only dentist in Columbus, OH offering neuromuscular orthodontics. Neuromuscular orthodontics moves your teeth to restore a healthy bite that can reduce or eliminate TMJ symptoms.

Our high-tech approach to orthodontics makes all these approaches better. Digital scanning lets you get an impression without need for physical impression trays full of uncomfortable material. Advanced planning tools make orthodontics faster and more accurate. Plus, we can print retainers in house, which means you can get them faster and cheaper.

Healthy Start is a different approach to orthodontic problems that offers many benefits for children and their parents, including:

Develops a beautiful smile for life
Eliminates the need for braces
Is a fraction of the cost of braces
Is typically covered by insurance
Promotes proper facial development
Works during sleep or a brief 2-hour period while awake
Removable appliance for better hygiene with no food restrictions
Can address sleep disordered breathing and its symptoms
With Healthy Start, we can ensure that your child’s teeth come in straight and develop a beautiful smile from the beginning, without the need for braces. This is a fraction of the cost of braces but is covered under the same insurance plans, and if your child already has crooked teeth, their teeth can be straightened within 2-12 months.

Wisdom teeth emerge years after all other teeth are in place. The third molars, or wisdom teeth, are called such because they develop when most individuals become adults, which is near 17 years of age. Because our jaws are smaller than those of our ancestors, our wisdom teeth do not have enough room to fit in our mouths properly.

The wisdom teeth can become impacted, crowding other teeth and causing them to chip or break. They can cause gum disease or decay due to their difficulty of cleaning. They can also cause cysts, which can destroy the jaw or surrounding teeth. It is best to have wisdom teeth removed around age 17 because that is when they usually develop. Removal will be easier and recovery faster since the roots usually have not fully developed yet.

You will sometimes hear a traditional denture dentist say, “You wouldn’t expect to be able to see with a glass eye. You can’t expect to be able to chew steak with dentures. ” But just as people are developing artificial eyes that can restore sight, FOY® Dentures allow us to give more function than people could expect from traditional dentures. FOY® Dentures can:

Make a tighter, more secure fit
Reduce or eliminate painful pinch points under the denture
Reduce jowls, folds, turkey neck, and other signs of facial aging
Reduce or eliminate the sunken-in appearance that comes from dentures
Restore balance to the jaw to reduce or eliminate effects of TMJ
Be fitted to dental implants when necessary to achieve optimum results

The temporomandibular joint (often abbreviated TMJ) is the joint in the jaw where the mandible, or lower jaw, meets the temporal bone in the skull. The alignment of the joint is largely determined by the way the teeth in the upper jaw align with the teeth in the lower jaw. This is commonly referred to as the “bite, ” and a misaligned bite, or malocclusion, is a major cause of TMD.

Jaw dysfunction can cause jaw-related symptoms. Jaw pain, jaw sounds, and problems with jaw movement are all common in this condition. Because the jaw joint is at an important intersection of the body, symptoms can also be far-reaching.

Firouzian Dentistry understands that three key principles underpin holistic dentistry:

-The best materials in dentistry should be biocompatible or bio-inert
-The body’s natural healing mechanisms should always be used before considering disruptive interventions
-The body and mouth are closely interlinked, not separate systems

Applying these principles helps us to perform dentistry that always promotes wellness. Our treatments first do no harm and second put you on a path to long-term wellness with minimal interventions.

There are many possible problems that could be contributing to functional problems in your mouth. Depending on what is causing your problems, we will find a solution that resolves the causes and gives you a fully functional mouth.

For example, if crooked teeth are to blame for functional problems, we might propose orthodontics, such as wire braces or clear braces. If you have suffered tooth damage, we might recommend tooth restorations like dental crowns. Often, a combination of approaches works best.

Missing teeth don’t have to be an obstacle to a fully functional mouth, either. Dental implants can be used to restore your mouth to full function. And if you’re not a good candidate for dental implants or don’t want them, we can still dramatically improve the function of your mouth with quality neuromuscular dentures.

Dental bonding is an incredibly flexible cosmetic dentistry procedure. It can be used to:

-Repair small chips on teeth
-Close gaps in a smile
-Build up small teeth
-Reshape unattractive teeth

And many more cosmetic complaints. Essentially, any reason why you may be unhappy with the size or shape of your teeth can be corrected with bonding.

How Dental Bonding Works
It uses the composite resin material that is commonly used for tooth-colored fillings. The material combines the flexible toughness of plastic with the hardness of ceramic or glass inclusions. It begins as a soft putty that can be dyed to match your natural teeth.

Once an exact color match is achieved, the putty is shaped to achieve the desired result. Then the material is hardened using a curing light. Finally, the bonding is polished to give an attractive luster like tooth enamel.

As the name implies, dental bridges span the gap created by the missing tooth. In order to make a bridge, there must be supporting teeth to which the bridge can be attached. There are two main portions to a dental bridge:

The pontic is the part that spans the gap
The abutment piece attaches to the teeth surrounding the gap
Most bridges will have two abutment pieces, one to each side of the gap. These are basically dental crowns affixed to the adjacent teeth. In general, twice as many teeth are needed to support the pontic. So, if you have a two-tooth gap, four adjoining teeth might be needed for the abutment. Alternatives like dental implants may be recommended for larger gaps in your smile.

A cantilevered bridge, using one support tooth may also be an option if Dr. Firouzian only has one abutment possibility for a one-tooth gap. In some cases, a dental implant may be recommended instead of a bridge in order to preserve your natural teeth or better balance forces for a longer-lasting restoration.

Most whitening systems use a whitening agent that is painted onto or otherwise applied to the surface of the teeth. The agent is left for a specific amount of time, and then is removed. Some whitening techniques require multiple applications, while others can lighten the teeth by several shades in a single office visit.

The basic approaches to teeth whitening include:

-Traditional in-office professional whitening
-Zoom! Advanced Power teeth whitening done in-office
-KöR Teeth Whitening
-At-home professional whitening
-Over-the-counter, at-home treatment

While over-the-counter whitening is a popular option, it is not as effective or as long lasting as professional teeth whitening performed by or prescribed by a cosmetic dentist like Dr. Michael Firouzian. The whitening agents used in the office are more powerful than those available in your local grocery store, and typically lighten teeth seven to ten shades after a single one-hour whitening session.

With our new 3D printer, we can even produce whitening trays for you in-house, and you don’t have to bite down into a tray of impression material. We just literally wave a wand over your teeth and send the image to your printer, which produces the trays right then and there.

Why Implants are Better Than Dentures
Dental implants provide several advantages over traditional dentures, because implants:

-Are stationary and will not shift when you eat or talk
-Allow you to eat denser foods that are difficult to eat with dentures
-Stimulate your jawbone as you chew, preventing long-term bone loss
-Do not need to be removed for cleaning
-Because dental implants are permanently attached to your jawbone, they function just like your natural teeth. You don’t have -to worry about them slipping out of place when you’re eating, talking, or laughing.

And because they function just like natural teeth, you can keep eating all your favorite foods. You won’t have to give up foods like steak or corn on the cob. And you won’t have to learn a new way to eat: you can bite and chew normally with your dental implants.

Porcelain veneers, also known as instant orthodontics, are among the most flexible tools available to cosmetic dentists. Made from an advanced form of porcelain, veneers create a powerful bond with tooth enamel, providing a strong, long lasting, beautiful surface for your teeth. Porcelain allows some light to pass through, giving it reflective properties similar to that of natural tooth enamel. Because of these unique characteristics, they are one of the strongest and most natural looking treatments for a variety of cosmetic dental issues such as:

-Cracked teeth
-Chipped or pitted teeth
-Discoloration that cannot be treated with traditional teeth whitening procedures
-Small gaps between the teeth
-Small or poorly shaped teeth
-Minor misalignment

If any one of these issues is preventing you from having the smile you’ve always wanted, a smile makeover with porcelain veneers might be the answer. We can apply any number of porcelain veneers, treating just one tooth or treating your entire smile.

Many dentists use composite fillings because they can be directly applied during an initial visit. Dr. Firouzian takes your overall smile into consideration will help you determine the best material for your smile. You may want a quick fix, or you may prefer the look and function of porcelain. Ceramic porcelain has many advantages over both amalgam and composite fillings, including:

Translucent quality
Strength
Non-porous material
Permanence
And with our CEREC system, you can get ceramic fillings in a single visit.

Mercury amalgam fillings, especially if you have more than one, can seriously detract from your smile. Their silver color does not blend well with your natural teeth. Composite fillings, on the other hand, lack the shiny luster of porcelain but is still much more attractive than metal. Composite fillings are also porous and may dim over time, while porcelain is smooth and stays strong.

Our restorative goal is to return your teeth as close as possible to their original appearance, function, strength, and longevity. In general, we recommend composite fillings for small cavities. For fillings larger than a third of the biting surface, and fillings that involve the points (cusps) of the tooth, we recommend porcelain fillings. Often, the size of the filling–and whether we have to resort to a dental crown to protect your tooth–may have to be determined at the time we prepare the tooth.

Myofunctional therapy focuses on treating orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) . Most people with OMDs aren’t formally diagnosed with the condition, but may be familiar with the symptoms they experience, including:

-Difficulty biting or chewing
-Speech challenges
-Sleep disordered breathing (snoring, sleep apnea, UARS)
-Bruxism (clenching and grinding teeth)
-TMJ symptoms (jaw pain, headaches, ear symptoms)
-Orthodontic problems, including relapse
-Lips that don’t close over the teeth
-Mouth breathing

There are many treatment approaches for these conditions. Often, these are addressed individually as separate conditions, but closer examination reveals that they’re closely related and may be treated with a single treatment approach.

BOTOX ® Cosmetic is effective on many wrinkles that commonly form as we age. The most commonly treated ones include:

Vertical lines between the brows (glabellar lines)
Horizontal lines in the forehead
Crow’s feet
Lipstick lines around the mouth
In addition, BOTOX ® Cosmetic can be used to treat bunny lines around the nose and sometimes even for turkey neck.

There are many other applications for BOTOX ® besides wrinkles. It is sometimes used to treat excessive sweating.

BOTOX ® can also be used to treat TMJ and migraine headaches.

First, we will prepare your tooth the same way as for other dental restorations. We make this preparation more comfortable with Anutra buffered anesthesia.

The we use high-resolution digital imaging to take pictures of your damaged tooth with the specially-designed CEREC camera. This will generate a 3D model of your tooth. CEREC’s Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology then allows you and Dr. Firouzian to design the restoration on a computer monitor right at your chair!

Once the restoration has been designed, the CEREC system takes over, and begins to sculpt your new restoration out of a block of ceramic. A high-speed diamond-topped drill and disk work together to ensure that the restoration fits precisely into your existing tooth. We can even do some custom-staining to ensure that the color match with your natural teeth is perfect. We then use ultra-strong adhesive to bond the restoration to your tooth.

If you’re waking up in the morning feeling unrested, dozing off during the day, or have noticed that you have lost interest in many things that you used to enjoy, you may be suffering from sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing during sleep. Your risk is even higher if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you’re overweight, or if someone has told you that you snore loudly. Sleep apnea is so disruptive of the body’s systems that it is potentially deadly: it can increase your risk of dying—from any cause—by five times or more.

If you suspect that you may be suffering from this condition, we can help. Please call (614) 848-5001 or email Firouzian Dentistry today for an appointment with a Columbus, OH sleep dentist.

A root canal is used when bacteria have invaded the part of the tooth normally occupied by the tooth nerve. This occurs when an untreated cavity penetrates through the dental enamel (the outer layer of the tooth) and the dentin (a softer material under the enamel) . Some common symptoms of this infection include:

Pain—spontaneous and enduring, often severe
Sensitivity to heat or colds that lasts
Tenderness in the tooth when touched
Discoloration of the tooth
A pimple or sore on the gums
Most people think that the pain associated with a tooth infection is always severe, but the level of discomfort varies from person to person. You may experience little or no discomfort from your infected tooth.

An infected tooth is a serious condition. It not only causes discomfort, but it gives bacteria the ability to penetrate deeper into your body, penetrating through the tooth into your jawbone, other teeth, even your sinuses and from there your brain. Complications of an untreated tooth infection can be fatal

Gum disease is one of the most serious problems in dentistry. It threatens your teeth–it’s the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. But it also has dangerous impacts beyond your mouth, especially for your cardiovascular system: it’s been linked to heart disease and stroke. It can make your diabetes harder to treat, and can cause pregnancy complications. It’s also extremely common, with nearly 90% of Americans having some degree of gum disease.

Perio ProtectBut now we have a new tool for fighting gum disease. Perio Protect gives us another approach to combat this serious disease. If your normal oral hygiene routine is just not enough to control your gum disease, please call (614) 848-5001 or email us for an appointment with Columbus, OH cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Firouzian at Firouzian Dentistry.

The medical term for this condition is halitosis. Surprisingly, most people with halitosis are not aware of their problem breath. That’s because our sense of smell has an amazing ability to adjust to odors. It requires long-term control and management of this condition. The Breath Rx™ Breath Management System was developed to make long-term treatment easy, convenient, and effective.

Most people think that bad breath is a result of what’s going on in our stomachs. But that’s not the whole story. The actual odor of halitosis is generated by bacteria that thrive in the mouth under the gums, and in the nooks and crannies on the teeth and the surface of the tongue. Left untreated these bacteria create volatile sulfur compounds that have a characteristic “rotten egg” smell. Most people would probably like their breath to be more pleasant than that. And that is precisely what the Breath Rx™ System is designed to do – give you pleasant smelling breath.

Oral cancer kills more people nationwide than either cervical or skin (melanoma) cancer, and only half of patients diagnosed will survive more than five years. One American dies every hour from oral cancer. The most common risk factors are tobacco use, frequent high quantity alcohol consumption, constant sunlight exposure, habitual cheek or lip biting, or poorly fitting dentures. Although most oral cancers are found in people who use tobacco and/or drink alcohol excessively, 25 percent of oral cancers occur in people who have no risk factors at all.

Your dentist could very well be your number one soldier in the fight against oral cancer. Statistics show in about 10 percent of patients, dentists notice a problem area even before the patient notices. During a regular dental check up, your dentist will examine your entire mouth, searching for a flat, painless, white or red spot or small sore.

Dr. Firouzian in Columbus, Ohio can create a custom-fabricated sports mouth guard for your child. According to the American Dental Association, more than 200, 000 oral injuries are prevented annually in this country by sports mouth guards. Oral trauma can happen to children, as well as high school and college level athletes. It’s a fact that dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports.

Although a store-bought mouth guard might be a reasonable start if you’re not sure your child will participate in sports for long, a custom mouth guard lasts longer, provides better protection, and is a great investment in your child’s safety and competitiveness.

Power Balance Performance Mouth Gear technology (POWER UP) uses principles of neuromuscular dentistry to give you real physiological benefits by removing stress from the jaw, face, and neck muscles. These include:

Relaxing facial muscles to improve position of the jaw and aligning the spine
Decreased forward head posture due to Silicone BITE-PAD™ System
BPA-free material still gives protection to the teeth, and Tritan frame and EVA mold make this a very tough and durable material
Each mouth guard is custom created to fit around each tooth using the V-Form design to allow comfort and proper airflow, giving you the oxygen needed to compete in any sport strong to the very end

Sedation dentistry lets you get dental work you might be too afraid to approach otherwise. It can also make dental visits seem more normal and routine so you may overcome your dental phobia. Since much dental pain is related directly to anxiety, sedation dentistry can reduce the amount of discomfort you experience.

In addition to alleviating anxiety, sedation dentistry can also be helpful to the dentist. If you have avoided seeing a dentist, Dr. Firouzian might discover that you need to have several procedures done in order to restore your overall oral health. Using sedation dentistry, he can more easily address multiple problems in a single visit. Because you will be relaxed, his work will be easier to perform. The sedative will also make time seem to go more quickly, so that procedures that take some time to do properly will not cause additional stress.

Wisdom teeth extraction, or removal, is among the most common and safest oral surgeries performed in the US. Although wisdom teeth are a natural development, they do not always fit in your mouth, and they can cause problems, not just for your other teeth, but for your overall health. Removal of wisdom teeth is often recommended as a preventive procedure before we know about the negative consequences, but it’s also possible to wait and see what develops.

If you need a wisdom tooth extraction in the Columbus, OH area, at Firouzian Dentistry, our oral surgeon can provide you with the specialized care you need. We can evaluate your wisdom teeth and let you know if extraction is necessary in your case. Please call

(614) 848-5001 or email us today to schedule your appointment.

Receding gums can make you uncomfortable: physically and socially. The first symptom most people have with receding gums is sensitivity to hot and cold beverages. Prompted by this, you may look in the mirror and discover that receding gums are making your smile look unhealthy and unattractive. And that’s just the beginning: receding gums threaten your teeth.

But Chao Pinhole® gum surgery can help. It’s minimally invasive gum rejuvenation that can reliably correct most levels of receding gums with minimal discomfort, no scalpels, and no stitches. The best way to learn whether you are a candidate for Chao Pinhole® Gum Surgery in Columbus, OH is to call

(614) 848-5001 or email Firouzian Dentistry today for an appointment.

The DNA Appliance (Daytime/Nighttime Appliance) is different from most sleep apnea treatments because it’s focused not just on resolving the symptoms, but actually seeking to cure the causes of sleep apnea. Most oral appliances just try to hold your airway open while you’re wearing the appliance. But the DNA appliance tries to reshape your airway so that you can avoid sleep apnea, even when you’re not wearing the appliance.

This fundamentally different approach to sleep apnea offers many benefits, such as:
-Long-term (possibly permanent) results
-Correction of bite problems
-Resolution of TMJ symptoms
-Teeth straightening
-Reshaping the profile
-Improved nasal breathing
-Elimination of nasal snoring

These benefits come as a direct result of DNA’s focus on the teeth and jaws as a treatable cause of sleep apnea. The process of reshaping the jaws and moving the teeth impacts your appearance and makes more room for proper breathing.

The DNA Appliance can even improve snoring and sleep apnea related to the nose, which most sleep appliances can’t do.

Dentistry takes its name from the Latin for “tooth, ” and teeth remain the focus for many dentists, but in its name neuromuscular dentistry, we have an expanded focus that includes the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints that support the teeth and perform the essential jaw functions of biting and chewing. Part of the rationale for this is that these other structures not only impact the healthy function of your teeth, but they are also intimately involved with the healthy function of the rest of the body.

Some of the essential principles of neuromuscular dentistry include:

- The body exists as a biologic whole, not as a mechanism that can be disassembled to analyze the function of elements separately.
- Therefore, the jaw system and the body have to be considered as part of a single whole, and we have to understand how each impacts the other.
- When dysfunction exists, the body will adapt. This may minimize symptoms in the short term, but may ultimately create more damage and dysfunction in the long run.
- A relaxed, decompressed state allows for optimal health and function. Muscle tension and pressure can lead to nerve pressure, restricted blood and lymphatic flow, as well as pain and soreness. Rested muscles and loose joints have an inherently better capacity for function.
- All treatment should proceed from a comprehensive, scientific diagnosis that can guide treatment for maximum effectiveness.

When you put these principles together, you can see how neuromuscular dentists approach the problem of your bite and teeth: we will use scientific diagnosis to determine the current state of the system and guide us toward a treatment that improves the function of your jaw and body.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Michael “Mike” Firouzian has delivered personalized and compassionate dental care to patients of all ages through his general and cosmetic dentistry practice in central Ohio. Dr. Mike and his team at Firouzian Dentistry are known for their collective commitment to providing a lifetime of care and for promoting a culture of patient comfort and satisfaction that is unique in the marketplace.

There is no such thing as a “routine” visit to Firouzian Dentistry. From the very first hour-long consultation where new visitors receive a full evaluation for everything from high blood pressure to airway functionality, Cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike and his dedicated staff don’t see patients as simply what’s inside their mouths. Dr. Mike takes very seriously his commitment and responsibility to ensuring his patients are holistically healthy and not simply possess clean teeth. As a result, Dr. Mike is constantly seeking dental solutions to chronic issues like TMJ, obstructive sleep apnea and treatments of head and neck pain (including migraines). Dr. Mike also regularly collaborates with medical specialists such as cardiologists, pulmonologists, neurologists, allergists, ENT’s, and others to ensure he’s providing truly comprehensive care.