Quality Restorative Care with Inlays and Onlays

August 29, 2012

We’re pretty certain you’ve heard of porcelain crowns before, but do you know anything about porcelain inlays and onlays?

As a cosmetic/restorative service available at Dr. Les Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, porcelain inlays and onlays can help you restore teeth suffering from decay or damage. That makes them similar to fillings and porcelain crowns, but you might think of them as an in-between solution.

Despite fulfilling a cosmetic-restorative function, though, inlays and onlays aren’t interchangeable. They’re very similar to each other, but they restore different parts of the smile.

Inlays are specifically for restoring the small space on the top surface of the tooth, between the rounded edges known as the cusps. Because this area is indented and sees a lot of wear, it is particularly vulnerable to decay.

Onlays, on the other hand, are designed to actually restore cusps instead of just merely restoring what’s between them. They are a conservative option that lets Dr. Latner preserve more of your natural tooth than something like a porcelain crown would.

Does your smile need important restorative help? Dr. Latner can help. Call our Los Angeles office today to schedule a consultation visit with us. During a consultation visit Dr. Latner can take a close look at your smile and help you understand exactly what kind of care you need, whether it’s an inlay, onlay, or something else.

Call us today! We serve patients from all around the Los Angeles area.

Choose Cosmetic Bonding for a Quick Smile Makeover

August 22, 2012

Here at Dr. Latner’s blog, we’ve said a lot about our cosmetic dentistry services, among them porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, and Invisalign. But there’s one service we haven’t talked about much—cosmetic bonding.

In today’s post, we’d like to talk spend some time talking about this simple cosmetic dentistry service and how it can help patients from Los Angeles and beyond enjoy a more attractive smile and improved confidence.

What Is Cosmetic Bonding?

Of all the cosmetic dentistry services offered at Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, the one that cosmetic bonding is most like is porcelain veneers.

As you might already know, porcelain veneers are designed to hide imperfections like cracked, chipped, or misaligned teeth. They do so using thin pieces of porcelain that are custom shaped and shaded to match your overall appearance.

Cosmetic bonding is very similar, though it uses composite resin instead of porcelain. What’s more, cosmetic bonding can be completed in just one visit, instead of the two or three visits it can take to fully complete a smile makeover with porcelain veneers.

If you have minor imperfections you’d like to correct, don’t wait any longer to find out how Dr. Latner can help you. Call our Los Angeles dental office to reserve a consultation appointment. We provide excellent cosmetic dentistry and aesthetic restorative dentistry to patients from all around the Los Angeles area.

Improve Your Smile with Invisalign

August 15, 2012

Do you want a straight, beautiful smile but feel nervous about committing to braces? At Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, we offer a clear alternative to traditional braces that’s helping patients everywhere achieve exactly what they’re looking for. It’s called Invisalign, and with it we’re helping busy professionals improve their confidence, their oral health, and their overall quality of life.

How Does A Straighter Smile Improve Oral Health?

You already knew a straighter smile can result in greater self-confidence, but you might be wondering how a straighter smile can also improve oral health and overall wellbeing.

The answer to that is simple.

When teeth aren’t spaced right or are misaligned, they’re more vulnerable to common oral health problems like tooth decay and gum disease. What’s more, misalignment can also cause neuromuscular problems.

But Invisalign can help. Using a series of clear, acrylic aligners, Invisalign will bring your teeth into their ideal alignment, offering them extra protection from each of these.

Other Benefits of Invisalign

Improved oral health is just one benefit of using Invisalign, though. Don’t forget about that first one we mentioned—improved confidence. If you’ve ever been afraid to smile in front of friends or family, Dr. Latner and his Los Angeles team can help.

Another benefit of Invisalign is that it’s more comfortable. Dr. Latner will use 3D computer imaging to design your treatment, ensuring that it’s as precise and comfortable as possible.

Want to Learn More About Invisalign?

If you’d like to know whether Invisalign is right for you, Dr. Latner can help you decide. Call our Los Angeles dental office today to schedule your consultation appointment. You can also visit our Invisalign page to learn more.

Have Questions? Get Answers.