My passion for dentistry started during high school while visiting my own dentist in Waterbury, Connecticut. As a patient I understood the anxiety and fears that come with visiting the dentist but I also understood the importance of oral health. This combined with my artistic inclination is what led me on a path that I am on today.
I started at the University of Connecticut and went on to Boston University for my dental education. I furthered my training in an advanced program at the University of Cincinnati meeting many wonderful people along the way. I decided to return to my hometown to serve the community where my interest first started and where I grew up.
I am constantly looking to improve my knowledge and skills with the latest advances in dentistry through seminars and workshops. This allows me to provide advanced treatments and sound advice with your goals in mind keeping your smile healthy for life. Outside of the practice, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, hiking, tennis, bicycling, reading or relaxing with a movie.
At Middlebury Dental Center, we value compassionate, gentle and quality dental care; as we would expect from our dental visit and we strive to provide the same for our patients. Our goal is to provide high quality service in a friendly and personable environment that leads to healthy smiles for life.
Our goal is to provide friendly and comfortable dental care in a stress-free environment. We know that a visit to the dentist can be stressful, Dr. Elahi and our friendly professional team will take the time to get to know you so we can provide personalized care in a gentle manner. There are a few ways we can help you get the care you need which we will go over at your first visit. As always it is our honor to serve the community and we are grateful for the trust you have in us.
A standard of excellence in personalized dental care enables us to provide the quality dental services our patients deserve. We provide comprehensive treatment planning and use restorative and cosmetic dentistry to achieve your optimal dental health. Should a dental emergency occur, we make every effort to see and care for you as soon as possible.
As a practice, we are true believers thatpreventative careandeducationare the keys to optimal dental health. We strive to provide dental health care vs. disease care. Thats why we focus on thorough exams checking the overall health of your teeth and gums, performing oral cancer exams, and taking x-rays when necessary. We also know that routine cleanings, flossing, sealants, and fluoride are all helpful in preventing dental disease. Not only are we focused on the beauty of your smile, were also concerned about your health. A review of your medical history can help us stay informed of your overall health, any new medications, and any illnesses that may impact your dental health.
Infection control in our office is also very important to us. To protect our patients and ourselves, we strictly maintain sterilization and cross contamination processes using standards recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
As your dental health professionals, we want you to be confident knowing that we are a team of highly trained and skilled clinicians. We pride ourselves in providing the care you need to keep your smile healthy. To give you the best possible service and results, we are committed to continual education and learning. We attend dental lectures, meetings, and dental conventions to stay informed of new techniques, the latest products, and the newest equipment that a modern dental office can utilize to provide state-of-the-art dental care. Also, being members of various professional dental associations helps us to stay abreast of the changes and recommendations for our profession.
Building a foundation of trust by treating our patients as special individuals is vital to our success. We understand how uneasy some patients may feel about their dental visits, and how we can make a difference in providing a relaxing and positive experience. Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with excellent, personalized care and service to make your visits as comfortable and pleasant as possible.
There is a wide range of conditions that can develop an impact on ones health. This includes sleeping disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that results in the patients inability to breathe properly through the night. A blockage in the airway can cause an individual to stop breathing hundreds of times during their sleep, resulting in serious side effects. Dr. Arsalan Elahi and his team in Middlebury, CT, are dedicated to not only providing a diagnosis of this condition but effective treatment options.
When the airways of the mouth are blocked, it can cause patients to become unable to breathe properly. This condition, sometimes referred to as OSA, causes patients to experience the signs of sleep deprivation as they are unable to reach the deep, restorative levels of sleep they need to look and feel their best. This condition may be spotted by a sleeping partner that notices gasping and inconsistent breathing patterns. Other times, it may be caught by symptoms such as:
Do you snore excessively? Do you suffer from day time fatigue? Do you wake during the night with shortness of breath? You may suffer from the life threatening sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. About 1 in every 15 Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and it is a problem that many dont even realize they might have. But what does this have to do with dentistry? Because sleep apnea is caused by an airway obstruction, the disorder can be treated through the Thornton Adjustable Positioner or TAP appliance is one of the more popular ways to treat sleep apnea. When the jaw bone is lax the tongue and soft tissue obstruct the air way the TAP appliance advances the jaw bone allowing the air to flow freely and making sleep more restful throughout the night. If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, talk to your dentist today about possible treatment options.
Patients who undergo a sleep study with their physician and are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea will often be recommended treatment using a CPAP device. This is a device that keeps the airways open when patients wear a mask over the nose and mouth as they sleep. Unfortunately, this device can be extremely uncomfortable, causing patients to stop using it.
Instead, our team may suggest a comfortable alternative known as an oral appliance. Oral appliance therapy uses a special mouthguard that patients wear at night to maintain open airways. It ensures alignment of the jaw and holds down the tongue to allow patients the ability to breathe throughout the night. These appliances are custom made and much more comfortable for patients to use.
Crooked, gapped, or misaligned teeth can be more than an aesthetic issue. These issues can make your teeth harder to clean, leading to decay and other dental problems. However, many patients with alignment needs have avoided orthodontics, not wanting to rely on metal brackets and wires. Luckily, these are no longer necessary. In many cases, patients can get perfect results from clear aligner trays.
Dr. Arsalan Elahi offers a variety of clear aligner orthodontics at his office in Middlebury, CT, including Invisalign and SureSmile clear aligners. He has many years of experience working with patients in need of realignment, both minor and significant, and he has had great results with clear aligners.
If clear aligners are correct for you, Dr. Elahi will use advanced 3D imaging technology to take images of your jaw and its underlying structures. He will then send those images to a lab that will use a unique computer program to design a correction course for your teeth. The lab will manufacture a series of clear, plastic aligner trays explicitly tailored to your needs. Youll start with tray one, changing them out every ten days or so on your own. Slowly, the trays will shift your teeth into alignment without discomfort or the painful wire-tightening associated with bracket braces.
Your clear aligners can be easily removed for eating and cleaning, and should they become lost or damaged, you can be quickly and easily replace them. The length of time youll wear your aligners varies depending on the patient, but clear aligners often take less time than traditional braces.
Dr. Arsalan Elahi of Middlebury Dental Center is a highly sought after dentist in Middlebury, CT. Having graduated from the University of Connecticut and Boston University, Dr. Elahi furthered his training and expertise through an advanced program at the University of Cincinnati. He is committed to providing his patient with the best dental advice and treatments by continuously improving his skills and knowledge through workshops and seminars. He possesses vast experience in cosmetic dentistry, childrens dentistry, preventative dentistry, and the treatment of sleep apnea, dental pain, and dental emergencies. Having been a patient himself, he strives to provide high-quality dental care in a personable and friendly environment that will provide you with a healthy and beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime!