A Dentist Who’s Close To Home

A trip to the dentist always inspires fear and dread for many patients. Dr. Harmik Derhartounian at the Flintridge Dental Studio, however, wants to eradicate those fears.

Stepping into Dr. Derhartounian’s dental studio, one will instantly feel right at home. Unlike the cold, sterile offices most probably grew up with, Dr. Derhartounian’s office is a very homey and comfortable affair. This speaks volumes on what to expect when you visit him.

“When patients arrive, they see the environment and how it is and how comfortable it is and then, obviously, the philosophy or practice comes right in and they can see it,” says Dr. Derhartounian.

The philosophy? Patients first.

“We are centered around the comfort of our patients. I know at times this is very old news because probably a lot of people do say that,” Dr. Derhartounian tells us, but other dental offices have “staff who are very rigid in their own policies.”

“We are very much patient-oriented rather than business-oriented or insurance-oriented,” Dr. Derhartounian adds.
What Dr. Derhartounian is saying is that all his patients are treated as family. All his relationships with patients aren’t the usual doctor/patient stereotypes where patients are kept at arm’s length.

“We make ourselves very accessible to our patients. And, it’s one big family. I get calls all day long. If it’s after hours, we respond to the calls. If I have to come in, I’ll come in. I’m right here in the area, maybe a minute and a half away,” says Dr. Derhartounian.

To fortify the “patient first” philosophy, and strengthen the homey feel of the office, Dr. Derhartounian says “we go to great lengths to make it as comfortable and pain-free as possible.”

Even the services offered reflect the “patient first” philosophy, by making sure the latest pain-free procedures are used.

“We do use the laser on several facets of work; anywhere from treatment of gum disease to surgery and a lot of otherunpleasantries. We can use the laser to help with filling simple cavities, and it requires no anesthetic or very little anesthetic,” Dr. Derhartounian explains.

With surgical procedures, the laser is particularly useful since it foregoes the use of the scalpel and healing times are reduced dramatically, ensuring patients are comfortable, Dr. Derhartounian tells us.

Other technologies employed that minimize patient discomfort are:

The Wand, a digital electronic device that injects anesthetic. “What it does is asit’s being inserted, it will inject the anesthetic so you feel a little bit more comfortable,” Dr. Derhartounian explains.

There are also “different medications and pain management systems available for those with anxiety,” Dr. Derhartounian says, which minimizes pain significantly so “once we start the procedure, most of our patients just go to sleep.”

Perhaps the most wonderful technology available that addresses the most dreaded procedure is the root canal system. “Right now, we have electronic systems to measure your root — we aren’t exposing our patients to unnecessary X-rays –this is called the Root-ZX system. It provides exact measurementsof the length of the root, without usual amount of multiple x-rays needed,” says Dr. Derhartounian.

Flintridge Dental Studio does it all, Dr. Derhartounian says, from crowns to teeth replacement, full reconstruction to full mouth implants, and of course pediatric dental care for kids.

“We have patients that say, ‘Can you see my son or my daughter?’ And we ask them how old are they. And if I can give them a pleasant experience, then I want them here, because the number one thing that’s very important for me is (for patients) to have a pleasant experience because they’re going to carry that the rest of their lives,” says Dr. Derhartounian.

“The main thing is, we are here to help achieve their overall dental health in the most comfortable way.”
Flintridge Dental Studio is located at 4542 Rinetti Lane, La Canada, Flintridge, with office hours during weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you want to find out more about Dr. Derhartounian and the services he offers, you can visit http://flintridgedentalstudio.com or call (818) 495-4969 to set an appointment.