Rancho Park Archives - Page 7 of 8 - Westside Dental Associates

Root Canal Therapy for Los Angeles and Beyond

March 28, 2014

root canal therapy Our teeth are made up of multiple layers. On the outside you have a protective layer of enamel, beneath that is a sensitive layer of dentin, and at the very center of the tooth is the nerve. When a tooth has been fractured or is severely decayed, this inner chamber can become damaged, making the patient vulnerable to an infection and other uncomfortable symptoms.

To treat these symptoms and prevent tooth loss, Dr. Latner can recommend a root canal. The purpose of a root canal is to save a compromised tooth, and the root underneath, by removing the damaged nerve and any infected material from the center of the tooth. What’s removed will be replaced by a biologically inert material known as gutta-percha. The procedure will end with the tooth being capped by a custom-made crown. This crown will restore your tooth’s appearance and functionality.

Of course, the term “root canal” has a negative connotation, but at Westside Dental Associates, Dr. Latner offers comfortable care with oral conscious sedation. What’s more, our Los Angeles office uses contemporary tools to make care quicker and more efficient. We’ll also talk to you about your procedure beforehand to dispel any myths and answer your most important questions.

Are you concerned that you might need a root canal, or do you simply have questions about the procedure? Call Westside Dental Associates for an appointment with Dr. Latner. During your appointment we’ll complete a thorough oral exam to determine what your needs are. Then we can begin putting your personalized treatment plan together.

We offer root canal therapy to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, and Playa Vista.

Visit Our Patient Education Pages

March 20, 2014

Has a question about one of our services ever come to you when our office wasn’t open? If it has, you may still be able to find the answers you need by browsing through our patient info section. Looking through this section, you’ll find helpful answers to question about the kinds of payment we accept, new patient forms, a range of articles and links, and a special Q&A page.

For instance, maybe you have a question like, “I’m unhappy with my smile. What can Dr. Latner do to enhance it?” We have an answer for you.

Or maybe you want to know something about the technologies we use at our office. On our Articles & Links page, you’ll find information on things like porcelain veneers, Invisalign, Arestin, and much more.

You’ll also find links to places like the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Academy of Periodontology. Sites like these are great resources for patients who have questions. But most importantly, they’re trustworthy sites. The Internet is filled with false information of all kinds. When you have a question about your oral health, you want to know that the resource you’re putting your trust in is as accurate as possible.

After all of this, do you still have a question that needs to be answered? We’ll be happy to help. Call us today at (310) 477-1081. We offer care to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and surrounding communities.

Important Care for Wisdom Teeth

March 14, 2014

You have probably heard about wisdom teeth, but do you know what they are or why they need to be removed? Wisdom teeth are sometimes called third molars, but whatever purpose they once served, our bodies no longer have any use for them—or any room, for that matter.

Unfortunately, they’ll start emerging anyway between the ages of 15 and 25. If wisdom teeth are allowed to come through, patients can experience painful crowding that pushes teeth out of alignment, or they can experience impaction. An impacted tooth will get stuck or emerge in whatever way it can. In both cases, it’s possible for an infection, a cyst, or a tumor to develop around the tooth. In other cases, the tooth may come in sideways, backwards, or forwards.

To prevent this from happening, Dr. Latner will start watching for the development of a young patient’s wisdom teeth around the ages of 11 or 12. It’s a good idea to have wisdom teeth removed close to the ages of 17 or 19, to prevent any of these complications from developing.

No one wants to have teeth extracted, of course, but with today’s technology and a service like sedation dentistry, the experience can be comfortable. What’s more, the procedure can be completed in a single appointment.

Does someone in your family still have his or her wisdom teeth? Call Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office today to schedule a consultation appointment. During the appointment, our team at Westside Dental Associates can talk more about the importance of having wisdom teeth extracted. We can also tell you what to expect from the procedure.

We offer care to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and nearby areas.

Over the Counter Whitening vs. Professional Whitening

March 3, 2014

teeth whitening Many patients want to have a white smile because of the message it sends to others. When others see a white smile, they see someone who looks confident and happy. A smile that has stains can send the opposite message, often because a patient with stained teeth can be afraid to share his or her smile with others.

Thankfully, it’s possible to cut through stains with a cosmetic dentistry service like teeth whitening. But with both professional and over-the-counter teeth whitening options available today, you might not know what’s right for you. Should you invest in professional whitening at Westside Dental Associates, or should you go to your local grocery store or pharmacy and pick something up?

Over-the-counter whitening products come in many different varieties. There are whitening toothpastes, whitening strips, whitening gels, whitening flosses, whitening mouthwashes, and so much more. But are of these effective at all?

The truth is there’s no way to know. Generally, though, over-the-counter products don’t have the effectiveness of professional-strength teeth whiteners.

To really see stunning results, it’s best to choose either in-office teeth whitening or take-home teeth whitening, both of which Dr. Latner offers at his Los Angeles dental office. These professional whitening services allow us to have more control over the process, and the products themselves have a history of showing great results.

In-office whitening is particularly good for patients who need a whiter smile in time for a major event, like a wedding, a graduation, or a job search. Meanwhile, for patients with sensitive teeth or who simply want to whiten on their own time, take-home whitening is an excellent option.

Still not sure which is right for you?

Call Westside Dental Associates today for a consultation with Dr. Latner. During your appointment, Dr. Latner will talk to you about the results you want to achieve, your history with whitening, and help you decide what option is right for you. Our office is happy to offer teeth whitening services to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and beyond.

Cosmetic Braces Options for Los Angeles and Beyond

February 28, 2014

Braces A straight, beautiful smile can help you enjoy better oral health and self-confidence. Not everyone’s smile is naturally straight, though. For patients who need a little extra help overcoming an underbite, overbite, crossbite, or crowded or gapped teeth, Dr. Latner of Westside Dental Associates offers two great options for cosmetic braces: Six Month Smiles and Invisalign.

Six Month Smiles uses a set of clear brackets and tooth-colored wires to move teeth into their ideal position. The process really does take just six months to complete, and some patients are able to achieve results slightly quicker.

Invisalign, on the other hand, works a little differently. Instead of using brackets and wires, this great system uses a series of clear trays, also known as aligners. Dr. Latner will use 3D computer imaging to design your entire treatment, from start to finish, so that every tray is precisely made for a specific part of the treatment process. When you have your aligners, moving your teeth into their ideal position is as simple as wearing each one for approximately two weeks.

Make 2014 the year you improve oral and overall health with one of our office’s options for cosmetic braces. Call Westside Dental Associates for an appointment with Dr. Latner. During your visit with us, we can help you understand if Invisalign or Six Month Smiles is right for you. We offer cosmetic braces to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and beyond.

Offering Preventive Care with DIAGNOdent and Tooth-Colored Fillings

February 19, 2014

Preventive care is the cornerstone of dentistry, and few tools today are as helpful with preventive care as a tool called DIAGNOdent. Dr. Latner uses DIAGNOdent every day during regular checkups to look for cavities that are just beginning to form. Every time it comes across one, it lets us know by making a sound. If we find anything, we can start working on a treatment plan immediately, because our goal is to conserve as much of your natural smile as possible.

To preserve smiles we use tooth-colored fillings, which are more supportive of your smile’s natural structure than metal fillings. They also blend in with teeth to provide discreet results. All of which means you can smile with greater confidence as you continue enjoying your natural smile throughout life.

Do you want to learn more about preserving and restoring your smile with DIAGNOdent and tooth-colored fillings? Dr. Latner would be happy to talk to you about both of these during a consultation at his Los Angeles office.

Your smile is in good hands at Westside Dental Associates. We serve patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and nearby communities.

How Can Oral Conscious Sedation Help You?

February 15, 2014

Do you avoid going to the dentist because of anxiety? So do many others. That’s why Dr. Latner of Westside Dental Associates offers oral conscious sedation, a common form of sedation dentistry. With oral conscious sedation, we can help patients in the Los Angeles area stamp out anxiety and have a new kind of dental experience.

Oral conscious sedation works using a safe and effective prescription, in combination with nitrous oxide. What’s more, Dr. Latner has been certified to offer oral conscious sedation by the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS). That means you can trust our team to safely and effectively offer care with oral conscious sedation.

Here’s what you can expect.

First, you’ll take a small pill when you arrive at our Los Angeles office for your appointment. Once the pill has taken effect and you’re resting comfortably, we’ll begin your procedure. Under the influence of oral conscious sedation, your appointment will pass like a dream. When it’s over you won’t remember any significant details from your appointment.

Will your next appointment be your first using oral conscious sedation? Keep in mind that you’ll need a friend or family member with you to drive you home afterward; it can take several hours for the effects of oral conscious sedation to wear off.

Call Westside Dental Associates if you’d like to learn more about oral conscious sedation, or if you just want to set up an appointment with Dr. Latner. We offer this great service to patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and beyond.

The Connection between Oral Health and Heart Health

February 7, 2014

oral and overall health On February 14, couples across the country celebrated another Valentine’s Day. Given how important the heart is to that day—or at least cartoonish version of one—we decided to use our first post of the month to talk about the connection between heart health and oral health.

You might be surprised to hear that your smile and your heart are connected, but recent data indicates that they are. How exactly? That’s not entirely clear, but it seems to involve gum disease, a very common oral health problem.

Gum disease is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and plaque around the gum line. If left untreated, pockets can form between your teeth and your gums, giving bacteria and plaque a way into your bloodstream and other parts of the body as well, like the heart. Once there, they can contribute to clotting and even heart attack.

But heart health isn’t the only thing gum disease can affect. Other health problems include:

Alzheimer’s
Stroke
Diabetes
Pre-term birth
Pneumonia

If you struggle with gum disease, or you want to prevent it, there are a couple of steps you can take to protect your smile and your overall wellbeing. First, make sure you’re brushing and flossing on a regular basis. An antibacterial mouthwash will also help you control bacteria and stop gum disease from forming. Second, make sure you’re visiting Westside Dental Associates for regular appointments with Dr. Latner. During a regular checkup, Dr. Latner can look for gum disease and help you treat it if he finds anything. Treating gum disease early is important for enjoying good oral and overall health.

Call Westside Dental Associates today to schedule your next appointment with Dr. Latner. We serve patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and beyond.

Dr. Latner Detects Cavities Early with DIAGNOdent

June 20, 2012

In our last post, we talked about how tooth-colored fillings can help us restore smile affected by decay. In this post, we’re going to introduce you to a unique tool Dr. Les Latner is using every day to catch decay before it becomes a serious problem. It’s called DIAGNOdent.

How Does DIAGNOdent Work?

Using a laser, DIAGNOdent examines the surfaces of teeth for signs of decay, matching what it finds against a health baseline reading. When it finds something that differs from that initial healthy reading, a sound is emitted, indicating that decay may be present.

As a benefit for you, finding decay early means shallower, simpler fillings that let you preserve more of your natural smile. And when used in combination with X-rays, it provides Dr. Latner with a clearer understanding of your total oral health so that we can make even better treatment decision for you going forward.

Learn More About DIAGNOdent Today

Want to learn more? You can do so in a couple of ways. First, you can visit the official page for DIAGNOdent. You can also our own website, where you can learn more about DIAGNOdent and all our great services. And lastly, you can give our office a call. We’d be happy to answer any of your questions, in addition to scheduling a visit for you with Dr. Latner.

Westside Dental Associates is located in Los Angeles and serve patients from West Los Angeles, Westwood, Santa Monica, Rancho Park, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Venice, Marina del Rey, and surrounding areas.

Stop Decay and Restore Your Smile with Tooth-Colored Fillings from Westside Dental Associates

June 13, 2012

Most patients have trouble with tooth decay at some point. That’s why fillings are a standard part of any dental office. But even with so many offices offering fillings, not every office offers tooth-colored fillings.

Tooth-colored fillings are a cosmetic alternative to traditional amalgam fillings. Instead of using a combination of metals, including mercury, to repair teeth and stop decay, tooth-colored fillings use strong composite resins to restore smiles.

What does that mean for you?

It means a healthier smile that also looks completely natural. That’s because composite resins can be custom-shaded to match the color of your smile. As a result, no one but you and Dr. Latner will ever have to know that you’ve had fillings.

As an added benefit, you can look forward to your tooth-colored fillings last just as long as amalgam fillings would. What’s more, tooth-colored fillings actually bond to teeth, supporting their natural structure instead of just acting as a barrier to decay. This keeps teeth stronger and helps prevent bacterial reinvasion.

Would you like to learn more about how tooth-colored fillings can help you restore your smile? Call Westside Dental Associates today with your questions or to schedule an appointment. Dr. Latner serves patients from Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Santa Monica, Rancho Park, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Venice, Marina del Rey, and surrounding areas.