Dr. David Regiani has been practicing dentistry in downtown Ortonville since July 1979.
‘I remember it like yesterday,? he said, ‘meeting with Roger Piddington, formerly of Ware-Piddington Realty during Christmastime 1978. It took just 91 days to add my addition and renovate the building located in the village at 101 South Street. I saw seven patients my first day, and haven’t stopped working since.?
With a staff of 10 caring women working with him, Regiani offers a wide variety of services including cosmetic services; diagnosis and treatment of head, neck and facial pain (TMJ) and periodontal diseases; as well as full-mouth reconstruction and other general dental care and holistic treatment.
An innovator in his field, Regiani has not used mercury-amalgam (‘silver-colored? fillings) in more than 22 years.
‘Whether someone has a cavity to be filled or only needs a broken or chipped filling replaced, I use tooth-colored materials. These new materials are far superior to the old-fashioned metal fillings: they look better; they last just as long ? or longer. And because they are bonded in place, they are more conservative by not destroying additional good tooth just to make a filling stay in place.?
Speaking of innovations, Regiani and his staff recently took a certification class on a new way to straighten teeth without using metal wires or brackets, called ‘Invisalign.?
The process is selective and not everyone will qualify, but for those who just want to straighten a few crooked teeth or cannot tolerate metal in their mouth, this may be the answer.
Invisalign uses advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to transform bite impressions into a custom-made series of clear and removable aligners.
As the patient replaces each aligner with the next in the series, teeth will move, little by little, week by week, until they have straightened to the final position. Length of treatment varies on the individual treatment plan. The cost is comparable to standard orthodontic metal braces, and is usually covered by dental insurance to the same extent.
Invisalign is invisible, so no one can tell someone is straightening his or her teeth.
It’s removable, so patients can eat and drink what they want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing is not a problem.
Finally, the aligners are comfortable, because there is no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means less time in the doctor’s office getting adjustments.
Why all this extra training? Regiani considers himself a life-long learner.
‘Why would you not want to learn something new?? he said. ‘There are so many technological advances in diagnosis and treatment. Now we can even measure potential for tooth decay without taking x-rays.?
He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Detroit School of Dentistry, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree and did advanced studies in immunology. His training did not end there, however..
In 1984, he became one of 13 founding members of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.
David W. Regiani, D.D.S., P.C. is located at 101 South Street in downtown Ortonville. Business hours are by appointment. Telephone is (248) 627-4934.