A UK study revealed, when looking at photos of unknown people, participants believed that those with crooked, chipped, stained, or missing teeth were uneducated, poor, or unhealthy. Like it or not, people make assumptions based on appearance, so if you’re not happy with the smile you see in the mirror, let the talented team at Westside Dental Associates help. We have a wide variety of restorative and cosmetic dental services to restore, repair, or renew damaged smiles. For patients interested in a conservative, minimally invasive, cost efficient solution, porcelain veneers may be your best option to conceal multiple smile irregularities with a single procedure.
(more…)
Enhance Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers Los Angeles
October 8, 2015
Dr. Les Latner, DDS: Your Trusted Los Angeles Dentist
September 8, 2015
When you choose a dentist, you want to make sure he or she is someone you can trust — someone with experience, and compassion. Not only that, but you want to feel at home with the whole team so that from the very moment you walk through the door, you feel relaxed and comfortable.
(more…)
Expert Los Angeles Implant Dentist
June 24, 2015
If you’re missing one or more teeth, dental implant replacement might be your best smile restoration option. Unlike traditional crown and bridge or partial and full denture replacement, dental implants are permanent and the look and feel just like your natural teeth. At Westside Dental Associates, are staff is dedicated to providing you the most relaxing, comfortable dental treatment possible. From our warm, welcoming front desk staff and waiting are to headphones and blankets for your comfort during procedures, we are committed to providing outstanding oral health care. Our dental implant therapies are no exception. Dr. Les Latner is an experienced and knowledgeable implant dentist, and he can accurately determine whether you will be a successful candidate for implants and provide safe effective implant placement. If you are missing one or more teeth, don’t just replace them, restore them with dental implants from Westside Dental Associates your Los Angeles dental leader. Call to schedule an appointment today.
Importance of Tooth Replacement
As we grow, our teeth grow with us. When a tooth is lost due to trauma, decay or gum disease, replacement is essential to maintain the bite we formed as we grew. Left untreated, missing teeth can have numerous adverse effects. The empty socket allows the rest of your teeth to shift. Often referred to as dental drift, this movement in your teeth can undo years of orthodontic straightening, or damage smiles that were naturally straight and evenly spaced. The gap in your teeth can also change the shape of your face over time making it more difficult to speak clearly and effecting your appearance. All of this can is treatable through traditional tooth replacement methods.
One hidden side effect of tooth loss that can’t be remedied with traditional tooth replacement is loss of gum tissue and jawbone density. Your gum tissue is shaped by the root of your tooth. Without a root, the gum tissue deteriorates. Bones require stimulation to maintain their density. As we go through the motions of our daily lives, our bones are stimulated by motion as we walk, sit, stand, and exercise. The same is true of our jawbone. It is stimulated by the interaction with our teeth. Without that stimulation, much like the bone density loss found in people who are bed bound, our jawbone begins to breakdown. This loss of bone density can lead to painful chewing, swallowing and talking. Loss of density puts patients at greater risk for illnesses like TMJ and obstructive sleep apnea as your face and neck shape changes due to bone loss.
The Dental Implant Difference
Implants are unique because they replace not just the visibly parts of your teeth. Dental implants are inserted below the gum line to replace teeth from the roots up. The implant is made from durable titanium that mimics the way your root supports your teeth and gums and helps maintain gum tissue and bone density. This is especially important the more teeth you need to replace. If you need several teeth in a row or a full arch replaced, you will not receive an implant to replace every tooth, but the implants that support your bridge, partial or full denture support gum tissue and jawbone density happen frequently with traditional bridges, partials and dentures.
This unique tooth replacement option does require a large time commitment. You’ll need to have at least 3 office visits to examine, implant and replace your teeth. During your first visit, Dr. Latner will examine your bite to determine whether you are a good candidate for implants. If Dr. Latner and you decide this is a good option, you will develop a customized treatment plan to restore your smile. On the second visit, Dr. Latner will place the implants outlined in your treatment plan below your gum line, and affix temporary, plastic replacement teeth. After you receive your implants, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for the implants to full heal and fuse with your jawbone. This process called osseointegration is why dental implants help to retain gum tissue and bone density, and because your implant fuses with the jawbone, your replacement teeth are permanent. They function just like your natural teeth, and have very little or none of the slipping, cleaning, or replacement hassles of traditional dentures.
Once your dental implants have fused, they are ready to anchor your custom milled dental prosthetic. The replacement teeth are built to replicate your tooth’s natural shape and size. The porcelain material even retains the same inherent gleam that you may notice as light reflects off your smile. Your replacement teeth are permanently attached to the titanium implants, and with proper oral hygiene and regular dental examinations, dental implants will last a lifetime.
Schedule a Dental Implant Consultation
The innovative dental implant procedures are an effective method for restoring many smiles. However, some patients may not be healthy enough for the treatment, or may not have enough jawbone density to support an implant. There’s no way to know for sure except to visit our office for a dental implant consultation with Dr. Latner. Reap the benefits of Dr. Latner’s years of dental implant experience, and find out of implant replacement is right for you at West Side Dental Associates of Los Angeles. Still have some questions, use our “ask the doctor” tool to find out more information before your appointment. Call to schedule your consultation today. Our conveniently located Los Angeles practice welcomes patients from Santa Monica, Marina Del Ray, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Burbank and beyond.
Restorative Esthetic Dentistry
December 13, 2012
Here at Westside Dental Associates, we care about more than just the outside appearance of your teeth. We feel that for a mouth to be truly beautiful, it’s healthy from the inside out. That’s why we believe in practicing restorative esthetic dentistry.
Restorative esthetic dentistry is all about restoring teeth in a lifelike, attractive way. Teeth or gums can become damaged, decayed or injured for a variety of reasons. Esthetic dentistry not only addresses these issues, but also gives you beautiful looking teeth.
Dr. Latner uses a variety of restorative esthetic dental techniques to help you achieve a beautiful, healthy mouth. Tooth-colored fillings, porcelain crowns, dental implants, inlays and more are all potential options to help restore your smile to its shining glory. We match the color of your existing teeth so that the new dental work will look completely natural.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, we’d love to help. Dr. Latner will have a consultation with you and create a customized plan to improve your smile that will meet your unique needs. We’d love to give you a beautiful, healthy smile.
Interested in learning more about restorative esthetic dentistry? Call us today! Our caring staff would love to talk to you. At Westside Dental Associates, we’re here to help you at our convenient Los Angeles office.
Have You Scheduled Your Fall Visit?
October 16, 2012
We’re well into fall by now, which means the holiday season is closer than ever before. Halloween is approaching, and Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas aren’t far behind. With all of these holidays come special parties and delicious foods. Wouldn’t you like to feel better about enjoying all the season has to offer? With a fall visit at Westside Dental Associates, you can!
Through a checkup and professional cleaning, Dr. Latner can help you understand how your smile is doing. Having a firm grasp of that makes enjoying that second helping of pumpkin pie or that extra Hershey’s Kiss that much more satisfying.
But more than that, by seeing Dr. Latner now you have more time to complete that holiday smile makeover you’ve been dreaming of. With services ranging from porcelain veneers and teeth whitening to dental implants and porcelain crowns, our Los Angeles team can help you create the winning smile you want just in time for upcoming holiday parties.
If you want to go into the holiday season with your smile in great shape, now’s the time to schedule a fall checkup and cleaning with Dr. Latner. Before you know it, the year will be over and so will your remaining dental benefits. Get the most out of them with regular preventive care or the smile makeover you’ve always wanted.
We’re ready to help. Call us today!
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.