Westside Dental Associates

What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?

February 28, 2013

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

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

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

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.

Pediatric Dentistry and Your Child

January 31, 2013

We understand the importance of dental care for adults, but it’s equally important to care for the health of your child’s teeth as well. Pediatric dentistry is an important dental specialty recognized by the ADA. Dentists in this field are skilled and practiced at caring for the health of children’s teeth.

Your child should first go to a dentist when they are one year old. This may seem rather young, but cavities can occur at any age, and it’s important to get started on a health routine early.

When taking your child to the dentist, make sure you’re taking them to a pediatric dentist. They’re prepared and experienced at handling young children and their needs. They also know how to work with a small patient that may not always stay still. If you don’t know who you should take your little one to see, your general dentist may be able to provide a referral.

The pediatric dentist will examine your child’s teeth and go over health concerns and proper brushing techniques with you. The sooner you start taking your child to the dentist the better. You don’t want your child’s first dental appointment to end with them having to get a mouth full of fillings, as this could cause them to become fearful of the dentist. Their first dental memory needs to be a pleasant one, to instill in them that going to the dentist is important for the health of their teeth and gums.

A pediatric dentist can also give you advice about teething, thumb sucking, and information on how your child’s teeth will grow and develop. A pediatric dentist is an important resource.

Don’t forget, once your child is a year old, it’s time for their first dental appointment. Pediatric dentistry plays an important role in the dental health care system and in our own personal dental health. Dr. Les Latner is a trained pediatric dentist, having completed his residency at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

Cosmetic Dentistry in time for Valentine’s Day

January 28, 2013

Valentine’s Day is just a couple of weeks away. If you’re looking for a way to enhance your confidence and look your best this February 14^th, consider cosmetic dentistry. The cosmetic dentistry services Dr. Latner provides can help you whiten and straighten your teeth, creating a smile you’ll want to share with others.

Our cosmetic dentistry services include:

Our teeth whitening options include both Zoom! in-office whitening and a professional take-home whitening kit. Both produce professional results, but there are differences. Zoom! Whitening whitens teeth in just one appointment, while take-home whitening lets us brighten your smile in the comfort of your home, on your own schedule. For the best results, Zoom! in-office whitening and take-home whitening should be used together.

For adult patients who want a straighter smile, Dr. Latner provides different options. Invisalign is a great option. Instead of using metal brackets and wires, Invisalign uses clear trays made of acrylic. Because Invisalign’s trays are nearly invisible, your care will be more discreet. What’s more, treatment is often faster and more comfortable. Dr. Latner also offers Six Month Smiles. If you’d like a straighter smile in just six to eight months, Six Month Smiles may be the right treatment option for you.

For patients who want a whiter and straighter-looking smile, porcelain veneers are a popular option. Veneers use thin pieces of porcelain to improve the appearance of front teeth. The result is a dazzling smile that looks naturally beautiful.

Which service is right for you? Is it one of these, or is it another service from the list above? For an answer to that question, call Westside Dental Associates for an appointment with Dr. Latner. Our team is dedicated to creating beautiful smiles for Valentine’s Day and beyond.

How Old Is the Toothbrush?

January 21, 2013

Even though you use one everyday—or at least you should—you may not have ever thought about how long the toothbrush has been around. It’s hard not to see them as a modern invention. And they are, in a way. The modern toothbrush didn’t come into being until 1938.

But that doesn’t mean that no one brushed their teeth before that. It’s known that people living as far back as 3000 BC cleaned their teeth with frayed twigs. It’s also known that the first bristle toothbrush was invented in 15^th century China. All of which means that brushing has been an important part of daily life for centuries, and it continues to be.

Why is brushing important? Because it helps you remove food debris, plus bacteria and plaque, from your teeth and gums. As a result, teeth stay healthy and clean.

Toothbrushes haven’t changed a lot over the years, but that doesn’t mean they will always be the same. As this NPR article points out, companies like Colgate, and even dentists, are looking for ways to make toothbrushes smarter and more effective.

If you have questions about how to brush more effectively, call Westside Dental Associates. Dr. Latner would be happy to answer your questions. We can also give you advice on how to shop for a toothbrush that meets your needs.

The Westside Dental team is happy to help patients from Los Angeles and beyond with a wide variety of oral health questions and services.

The Rising Popularity of Dental Implants

January 14, 2013

Recently, the American Academy of Implant Dentistry found that close to 30 million Americans are missing all the teeth in one or both of their jaws. The group also found that 15 million Americans are using a crown and bridge to replace a missing tooth. Given all that, restorative dentistry is one of the most important services a dentist can offer.

Crowns, bridges, and dentures have long been used to fill gaps and restore a smile’s appearance and function. But traditional forms of each have their limitations. While they can restore your appearance, they can’t give you back the functionality you once had. They also can’t stop the bone loss you’ll experience.

That explains why dental implants gain in popularity each year. Annually, the number of patients who have dental implants increases by 500,000. What’s more, the success rate for dental implants is 98 percent. Dr. Les Latner performs implant surgery and completes implant restorations in his Los Angeles dental office.

What makes dental implants so effective?

It’s the way they respond to your smile. Dental implants come in two parts, mimicking the structure of a natural tooth. The crown portion fills in the gap in your smile, while the implant portion fuses with your jaw, just like a natural root. When your implant procedure is finished, your smile will have the natural appearance and functionality you’ve been missing.

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for the implant surgery though. If you want to know if dental implants are right for you, call Westside Dental Associates. Dr. Latner would be happy to advise you in his Los Angeles dental office. We serve patients from all across the Los Angeles area.

Teeth Whitening for Los Angeles and Beyond

December 27, 2012

Are your teeth not as white as you’d like to be? Have you tried whitening toothpaste or other drugstore whitening treatments and aren’t satisfied with the results? Try the professional teeth whitening treatments from Westside Dental Associates!

Teeth frequently become stained from wine, tobacco, tea, coffee, and aging. These stains can cause you to lose confidence in yourself and your smile. We’re here to help you remove these stains and have beautiful, white teeth once again.

We offer two different whitening treatments to meet your unique needs. One option is Zoom! Whitening, which is an in-office procedure that gives you noticeably whiter teeth in just over an hour. If you want immediate results, this is the option for you!

Another option is take-home teeth whitening trays. Dr. Latner will create custom trays to help you achieve your ideal shade of white and you can use them in the comfort of your own home. Also, whitening trays can be helpful to use after a Zoom! Whitening treatment to help maintain your teeth.

No matter which option is right for you, you’ll end up with the bright, beautiful, white teeth of your dreams!

Here at Westside Dental Associates, our Los Angeles office is dedicated to providing you with quality dentistry care. Give us a call today and learn more about our teeth whitening options. We’d love to give you a beautiful, white smile!

Dental Implants from Westside Dental Associates

December 20, 2012

Are you missing teeth and find yourself self-conscious, but you’re not sure what to do about it? Are you afraid dentures are your only option? Here at Westside Dental Associates, we have a variety of options available to help restore your smile to its natural beauty.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, dental implants may be your best option to restore your smile. Dr. Latner will have a smile consultation with you to come up with the best treatment plan for your individual smile.

A dental implant consists of a small titanium post that is inserted into the socket where the missing tooth is. Over time, it will naturally bond with your jawbone to create a secure hold. Later, a porcelain tooth will be fitted over the post. Your new tooth will be carefully molded and colored to match the rest of your teeth, creating a natural appearance.

Dental implants can help enhance your smile and get you smiling confidently once again. If you’re interested in learning more, we’re here to help!

Here at Westside Dental Associates, our Los Angeles office is dedicated to providing you with quality restorative dentistry care. Give us a call today and learn more about our dental implant options.