What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?

February 28, 2013

Filed under: Sedation Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , — Les Latner @ 7:39 am

For some patients, going to the dentist takes courage. Sometimes that’s because of one or more bad experiences in the past. Other times it’s because of neck, back, or jaw pain. Whatever the cause, no dentist ever wants his or her patients to avoid care.

That’s why many dentists offer a service called oral conscious sedation. The point of oral conscious sedation is to create a soothing sense of relaxation in patients without putting them fully to sleep. Being able to respond to questions during a procedure is important.

Oral conscious sedation isn’t the only kind of sedation that can help patients find this balance, but it is one of the most popular. It works using a simple, prescription medication to create feelings of relaxation.

Many dentists will have you wait to take your pill until you’ve arrived at the office. Then, when the medication has taken effect and you’re seated comfortably in your doctor’s dental chair, your procedure will begin.

For patients who will be using oral conscious sedation, it’s important to have someone with you at your appointment to drive you home. The effects of oral conscious sedation take time to wear off.

Regular dental visits are important for a wide variety of reasons, the most important being to support your health and well-being. If you have put off care because of anxiety or discomfort, a dentist who offers oral conscious sedation can help you move beyond those to get the help you need. Improved oral health is in your future!

Diagnosing Cavities Early with DIAGNOdent

February 25, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: , , , , — Les Latner @ 7:23 am

So far this month we’ve been talking about gum disease and how our Los Angeles team treats it. All of this can be thought of as fitting under the category of preventive dentistry. Through regular visits, we can monitor your smile for signs of gum disease and provide treatment early if we find anything. With more developed cases, Arestin can help you prevent gum disease from affecting your overall health.

Given our recent focus, there’s another preventive service we’d like you to be aware of. It’s a simple device known as DIAGNOdent. Using this tool, Dr. Latner is able to diagnose signs of decay very early on, when it can be hard to see with a traditional visual exam.

The DIAGNOdent device, which was developed by KaVo, uses a handpiece and an audio signal to detect areas of weakness. If anything is found, Dr. Latner can put together a treatment plan immediately.

Catching decay early is an important part of preserving oral health. The more decayed a tooth becomes, the more of your natural smile you’ll lose. At Westside Dental Associates, our goal is to preserve as much of your natural smile as possible for as long as possible. What’s more, when Dr. Latner can catch decay early, treatment is not only smaller, it’s also more comfortable for patients and takes less time.

Call our Los Angeles office to learn more about DIAGNOdent and how we’re using it, or to reserve your next appointment with us.

Treating Gum Disease with Arestin

February 20, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: , , , , — Les Latner @ 7:21 am

In our last post, we talked about the connection between your heart and your gums. Today, we’d like to talk about an effective service our Los Angeles dental office is using to treat gum disease. The service is called Arestin.

Arestin is an antibiotic, but it’s not a pill, like other antibiotics. Instead, Arestin is applied directly to the part of your gum line that needs to be treated. Once applied, Arestin’s small particles of medicine go to work right where they’re needed, targeting bacteria. By itself, Arestin cannot be more effective than scaling and root planing (SRP) alone. Combined, Arestin and SRP can deliver dramatic results that greatly improve oral health and well-being.

Not only does this service start working immediately, it keeps working days afterwards. That means you can return to your normal schedule confident in the knowledge that Arestin will keep working after you’ve left Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles office.

To learn more about this great service, visit Arestin’s website or call Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office for a visit. We’re focused on creating healthy, beautiful smile with a comprehensive range of general, cosmetic, and restorative services.

The Connection between Your Heart and Your gums

February 13, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , — Les Latner @ 7:21 pm

Valentine’s Day is almost here. That means people everywhere will soon have hearts on their minds. But Valentine’s Day isn’t the only heart-related thing about February. It’s also Heart Health Month.

How does that relate to dentistry?

At first glance, it doesn’t seem as if it should. However, some studies have indicated that a common oral health condition like gum disease is not to distantly related to heart disease, among other health conditions. The extent of the connection isn’t entirely understood yet, but just hearing this can force you to think about dentistry in a new way.

The main concern of dentistry is your smile, of course. But when you consider that the plaque and bacteria from around your gums can gain access to the rest of your body through pockets caused by gum disease, you start to see the total-body connection your smile has with the rest of you.

In this light, caring for your smile with regular checkups isn’t just about protecting your teeth—it’s also about supporting your overall health.

Are you concerned about gum disease? In our next post, we’ll look at one of the most effective services available for combating this common disease. For now, call Westside Dental Associates if you’re concerned about your smile. Dr. Latner is proud to serve patients from Los Angeles and beyond with general, cosmetic, and restorative care.

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