Signature Smiles: The Pasadena Dental Group combines modern technology with traditional techniques | Special stories

Dr. David Shirinian founded Signature Smiles Dental Group in 2022 to help complement people’s smiles and provide a welcoming and educational dental experience. He said Pasadena has been a happy home for the business ever since.

“The mission is to bring back a smile and be there for patients … to give them smiles that they never had or potentially lost due to dental infections or traumatic incidents,” Shirinian said. “Our office is a very modern office with all the high-end technology, but as an associate I also learned a lot of the old school methods of dentistry.”

Shirinian said his passion for dentistry was instilled at a young age and that he felt inspired to enter the field because it combined his affinity for medical science and artistry.

“My parents immigrated from Armenia and lived a difficult childhood trying to make it in a new world,” he said. “They helped me get to the point where I understood that school and education are the starting point of any kind of successful life.

“Dentistry was the only field that stuck with me mainly because it is not only science and medicine, but it is also an art. This fueled my love and passion for the field.”

Shirinian received his license to practice from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, where he graduated at the top of his class. He went on to become an active member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and earned fellowships at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

Shirinian said his technique as a dentist is related to the traditional techniques he learned through his education and his associations with the modern technologies that fill his office, starting with the chairs. He explained that each chair is made in Italy and is equipped with integrated intra-oral cameras, cavitron scalers and electric handpieces that allow operators to control its RPM speed for procedures such as polishing, restorations or cavity drilling. .

“We also have a medical-grade monitor attached to it, so if I need to show the patient something like a cracked tooth, anything that’s on the back or even a lesion that we can find and the patient doesn’t has the idea because they can” They don’t see it and it doesn’t bother them, we are able to educate them because we take a picture here and there,” said Shirinian. “A lot of times with dentistry, you don’t really feel the pain until it’s too late, so we try to educate our patients and our main focus is on preventative care.”

The Signature Smiles office also uses digital x-rays and CT scans. Shirinian and his team can take panoramic radiographs or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to analyze a patient’s jawbone for procedures such as surgical extractions or implant placements.

“This allows us to precisely place the implants in all three axes: X, Y and Z,” said Shirinian. “A lot of offices don’t have that. They end up sending them to a medical clinic to get that CT scan or refer them to an oral surgeon. I feel like us having that machine here saves the patient a lot of time, money and effort. We have everything in house, so we don’t have to refer and deal with potential miscommunications.”

Shirinian said his favorite piece of equipment is Signature Smiles’ 3D digital scanner that captures images and sends them to a lab that designs custom crowns. Typically, dentists use adhesive alginate molds to create impressions of patients’ teeth, which Shirinian said can cause discomfort or disgust for patients. Its scanner eliminates the need for a formed impression.

“It’s not only an impressive tool to get patients excited about, but it actually makes our work better because it’s more accurate,” explained Shirinian, adding that the Signature Smiles experience is designed for comfort from the moment a patient walks in. from the door. . “We aim to provide you with red carpet service. … The first thing you’ll notice is my office manager, Norma, with a big smile that makes all patients feel comfortable, whether it’s answering questions about paperwork or helping with insurance.

“Then it leads to my assistant bringing the patient from the waiting room to the dental chair, introducing herself, offering them water or, if it’s a consultation where we won’t necessarily be doing work that day, offering them coffee or tea.”

Each Signature Smiles room is equipped with televisions that offer a variety of streaming services such as Netflix, Max or Disney+. As patients settle in, Shirinian takes them through the treatment plan and explains every action he’ll take during their stay. For patients who need numbing treatment, an assistant will present them with a tray of eight different flavors for the topical gel, so they can choose their preference.

Shirinian emphasized that he will not touch a patient unless they know exactly what they will spend, what they will receive and how long the treatment will last. It’s a lesson he learned as a child listening to a story from his uncle.

“My uncle had a very traumatic experience because he had no idea what was going on (during a dental treatment),” Shirinian said. “He was under the impression that he was just cleaning his teeth and the next thing he knows, he sees scalpels and needles. … They opened up his gums a lot, tortured his bone, and he ended up getting worse after the surgery. He hadn’t signed a treatment plan and had no idea what he was doing.

“Coming from Armenia and being an immigrant at the time, he wasn’t really the type to ask questions. He just trusted them. … That’s an experience I made sure didn’t happen in my office.”

Signature Smiles has made its home along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena for the past year and a half. Shirinian praised the diversity of the community and said he enjoys treating and talking with patients of all backgrounds.

“That’s what I love most about the Pasadena community, that we’re able to see all types of patients and all types of cases, whether it’s a small filling or dental implant cleaning,” he said. “I am very blessed to have wonderful patients who understand the treatment. … I feel very happy for the community here.”

Looking to the future, Shirinian said his goal is to increase Signature Smiles’ presence within Pasadena by participating in community and school events and to open a Signature Smiles pediatric office in the heart of the city so he can teach children the importance of dental care. and preventive care.

“Many patients who have any kind of dental anxiety, it’s largely because of the anxiety and treatment they received as children,” he said. “If we can reach out to kids early and let them know the importance of dental care and that it’s nothing to be afraid of, then they won’t be afraid when they’re adults and they’ll be able to maintain their oral hygiene and take care of their health.”

Signature Smiles Dental Group

2335 E. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 105, Pasadena

626-381-9288

www.signaturesmilespasadena.com

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