HEALTH, FITNESS BEAUTY

Local dental practice is a decades-old family affair

By Casey Russell On the corner of Larchmont Boulevard and Rosewood Avenue sits a homey dental office that has been serving the Larchmont community for decades.

In 1983, Dr. Arthur Kezian began practicing on Larchmont Boulevard working with another dentist, Dr. Charles Sweet, who had been running his office there since the 1940s. When Dr. Sweet retired, Kezian took over the practice, and it has truly become a family affair.

Narine Tashjian, who Dr. Kezian met at UCLA’s dental school and later married,

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY outside the Kezian dental office. joined the practice upon graduating. Dentistry brought them together and has been a huge part of their family’s life as the Kezian clan has grown.

The couple has two adult sons, Michael and Steven, also dentists. When asked about growing up with two dentists for parents, Steven (whom patients call Dr. Steve) said, “All they talked about was teeth.” He recalls going into the office every weekend when he was young. He said, “I would hold a flashlight while we were fixing the X-ray machine or whatever. Our first jobs were to do the accounting at the office.”

Michael Kezian joined the family practice in 2015. Steven Kezian joined a few years later.

As a way to expand, see more patients and be a bit more independent, Michael took over Dr. Karl Zeiler’s practice, just up the street, doing business as Larchmont Dental Associates. All four Kezians are at the original office together every Thursday. “It’s a little crowded. We’re all running around, but it’s fun. Any time I need some advice or have a question, I have three great mentors,” said Steven.

The Kezians strive to treat their patients like family. They have four generations of patients and a big part of the family’s style is their sensitivity with the people they serve. They believe in taking time to show patients what is going on, so each choice is understood, says Steven. “We give them the recommendations we’d give our own family members. Everything we do is for the health of the tooth and prolonging the teeth.” Dr. Steve even mans the phones at the office each weekend to ensure patients with dental emergencies will be taken care of.

Steven says that the family members pride themselves on making sure everything is cosmetically sound. They use tooth-colored crowns and (Please turn to page 12)

THE KEZIANS: (left to right) Michael Kezian, Narine Tashjian, Arthur Kezian and Steven Kezian.

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