Do you want a whiter, straighter-looking smile before the holiday season arrives? Dr. Latner and his dental team at Westside Dental Associates offer three of today’s most popular and effective cosmetic dentistry services, all to help you achieve beautiful, customized results. Those services include:
With these services, patients can get amazing results in just one to two visits. But which cosmetic dentistry service will do the best job of helping you achieve your goals?
During a consultation visit at our Los Angeles dental office, Dr. Latner will complete a thorough oral exam and an evaluation of your medical history. He’ll also talk...(Read More) Transform Your Smile Ahead of the Holiday Season with Cosmetic Dental Care
September 13, 2013
Do you want a whiter, straighter-looking smile before the holiday season arrives? Dr. Latner and his dental team at Westside Dental Associates offer three of today’s most popular and effective cosmetic dentistry services, all to help you achieve beautiful, customized results. Those services include:
With these services, patients can get amazing results in just one to two visits. But which cosmetic dentistry service will do the best job of helping you achieve your goals?
During a consultation visit at our Los Angeles dental office, Dr. Latner will complete a thorough oral exam and an evaluation of your medical history. He’ll also talk...(Read More) 
Teeth Whitening with Zoom!
August 22, 2013
Few people have a naturally bright smile. That’s because so many things we run into on a daily basis can cause stains—things like coffee, tea, red wine, juice, and soda, for instance. Tobacco use also contributes, as does aging. All of which explains why teeth whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dentistry services offered by Westside Dental Associates.
Teeth whitening with Zoom! is easy and yields amazing results. With just one appointment, you can expect to see your smile brightened by anywhere between 6 to 10 shades.
How does Zoom! work?
It starts with us making sure you’re comfortably seated. We’ll put a protective cover over your lips and gums,...(Read More) 
Is It Time for Your Home-Stretch Checkup?
August 15, 2013
If you had a checkup with Dr. Latner earlier this year, it may already be time for your second annual visit with Westside Dental Associates. That’s because we’re past the half-way point in 2013 and are entering the home-stretch. Over the next few months, you can only expect life to get busier as the kids return to school, and major holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the hustle and bustle of December gets underway.
Right now, with summer vacation slowly winding down, is the perfect time for you to see our Los Angeles team for regular care. During your appointment, Dr. Latner will take a close look at your smile and assess your...(Read More) Diabetes and Gum Disease
August 8, 2013
We’ve said it before—gum disease doesn’t just affect your oral health, it has an impact on your overall wellbeing. That even goes for patients with diabetes.
What’s the connection? Though it’s not entirely understood, it would appear that the relationship between gum disease occurs two ways.
Here’s what we know:
Gum disease forms when bacteria and plaque accumulate around the gum line. This causes the tissue to become irritated, resulting in an infection. The body responds to this infection by raising blood sugar levels, in turn raising a patient’s risk of experiencing diabetic complications.
Now, consider the other side. Patients who are diabetic are already more susceptible to developing an infection, because of the...(Read More) 
Risk Factors for Cavities
August 1, 2013
You’ve heard all your life that keeping your teeth healthy means avoiding sugary foods and brushing twice a day. But in fact, when it comes to cavities, there are other risk factors besides sugary foods and not brushing that you should be aware of. In today’s post, we’d like to go over some of those. We hope you find them informative, and if you have any questions about what you see, don’t hesitate to give our Los Angeles dental office a call.
Already having cavities
All patients face a risk of developing cavities, but patients who have had cavities in the past are more likely to develop new ones in the future. That’s because...(Read More) 
How Saliva Protects Your Smile
July 30, 2013
As we indicated in our last post, saliva can play an important role in protecting teeth from decay. Specifically, saliva helps neutralize the acid created by bacteria in the mouth. But that’s not all it does.
Saliva is 99% water, and water—as we said last time—helps keep teeth clean. The other 1% of saliva is made up of electrolytes, mucus, glycoproteins, enzymes, and antibacterial compounds. As you eat, saliva breaks down food particles around teeth and offers your enamel special protection. What’s more, because saliva contains calcium and phosphates, it helps with the re-mineralization process, too.
It’s because of saliva’s benefits to oral health that dentist will recommend chewing gum after a...(Read More) 
Improving Your Oral Health with Food
July 23, 2013
You already know how important brushing, flossing, and regular checkups are for a healthy smile, but what about your diet? While foods high in sugar can have a negative effect on oral health, there are other foods that are more beneficial. Some of those include:
Fruits, veggies, nuts, and more
Vegetables that take some considerable chewing, like carrots and celery, are good for your smile because the more you chew the more saliva your body produces. Why is that good? Because saliva is known for neutralizing acid, which is what causes decay.
Meanwhile, foods like garlic, apples, grapes, cocoa, and nutmeg are beneficial for another reason. Instead of increasing saliva production, they make it...(Read More) 
Have You Ever Wondered What Causes Tooth Sensitivity? Here Are Four of Them
July 16, 2013
It’s not uncommon for patients of Westside Dental Associates to ask us about tooth sensitivity. Many experience it, but few know why. In today’s post, we’d like to look at the topic of tooth sensitivity and explain just a few of the things that can cause it.
Gum Disease/Gum Recession
One of the primary causes of tooth sensitivity is gum recession, which itself if caused by gum disease. When gum disease isn’t treated, it can cause the gums to recede, exposing more of the tooth and increasing one’s sensitivity to things that are hot or cold. Treating gum disease early, before it has time to become more developed, will help patients prevent gum...(Read More) 
Xylitol: A Sweetener that Will Actually Help Your Smile
July 9, 2013
Dentists are always encouraging their patients to avoid sweets and eat healthy foods, but there’s one sweetener that’s actually good for your smile—xylitol.
Xylitol is derived from the fibers of plants and promotes a neutral pH when consumed. Compare that to what happens with normal sugar. When bacteria in the mouth come into contact with sugar, a feeding frenzy ensues, resulting in the production of harmful acid. But bacteria don’t interact with xylitol the way they do with sugar. In fact, xylitol makes it more difficult for bacteria to cling to teeth, resulting in an overall reduction of bacteria in the mouth.
The benefits of xylitol don’t stop there, though. This natural sweetener has...(Read More) 
One-Appointment Cosmetic Bonding
June 13, 2013
Many patients dream of a more beautiful smile. For some, though, the expense or the inconvenience of multiple visits can be off-putting. But there’s one service that allows you to get the cosmetic care you’re looking for at a smaller price and in just one appointment—it’s called cosmetic bonding.
Cosmetic bonding is a great solution for patients who have a chipped or slightly misaligned tooth that they want you to restore. To do that, Dr. Latner will apply a putty-like material known as composite resin to the surface of the tooth. To make sure that your restored tooth matches the rest of your smile, the resin will be shaded to blend in....(Read More)