Root Canal Therapy for Los Angeles and Beyond

March 28, 2014

root canal therapyOur 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.

Make 2014 a Transformative Year for Your Smile

January 10, 2014

cosmetic dentistry

Do you have ambitious goals for your smile this year? Then let the team at Westside Dental Associates in Los Angeles be your guide to better oral health and improved confidence. Besides offering general and preventive dentistry, we offer a wide range of cosmetic and restorative services as well.

Maybe your big goal for 2014 is to . For that, Dr. Latner offers in-office whitening with Zoom! and also take-home whitening option.

Alternatively, you might have teeth you want to straighten. With Six Month Smiles or Invisalign, Dr. Latner can help you correct misalignment in just a matter of months.

If you have missing teeth you want to replace, we can provide excellent help with dental implants. Unlike other restorative services, dental implants have a structure similar to natural teeth, with a replacement tooth on top and a prosthetic root underneath. With one or more implants, patients can enjoy a smile that looks and feels natural again.

A list of our other cosmetic and restorative services includes:

Are any of these services right for you? Dr. Latner can help you decide with a simple consultation visit at his Los Angeles dental office.  Call us today if you live in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, Culver City, Rancho Park, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, and beyond. We can help you make 2014 a momentous year for your smile.

Enjoy a Diverse Range of Foods with Dental Implants

December 23, 2013

dental implantsOne of the biggest downsides to losing one or more teeth is that it becomes difficult to enjoy your favorite foods. And even with conventional restorative services, there are still foods you may have to avoid. Besides taking some of the fun out of eating, this can also mean that you’re not enjoying the kind of diverse diet you probably should be.

But there is one restorative service that will let you enjoy a comprehensive diet without fear—dental implants. This revolutionary restorative dentistry service uses metal implants as prosthetic roots, creating a stable foundation for a new crown, bridge, partial, or full denture.

Your tooth roots are important. In addition to anchoring your teeth to your jaw, they also encourage new bone growth so that your jaw stays strong throughout your life. When you lose a tooth and the root underneath it, your jaw may weaken over time, possibly contributing to the loss of other teeth.  The implant posts that come with dental implants will take on the role your natural roots once did, including promoting new bone growth. As a result, patients can enjoy their favorite foods again.

Not every patient is a good candidate for dental implants, though. To find out if this great service is right for you, call Westside Dental Associates today for a consultation. We offer excellent restorative dentistry 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.

Start Setting Goals for Your Smile Now

November 26, 2013

We still have some time before 2014 arrives, but now is still a good time to start thinking about your smile goals for next year.

Your goals could be simple or they could be more complex. For example, maybe you haven’t been very good in the past about coming to see Dr. Latner for regular checkups and cleanings. In that case, your goal might be as simple as seeing our team at Westside Dental Associates twice a year.

But maybe you’d like to make more extensive cosmetic or restorative changes to your smile. To plan extensive care, you can start by exploring our cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry pages. Here, you’ll find solid information about what we offer and how we can help.

To understand which service (or services) is truly right for you, though, you’ll need to visit Westside Dental Associates in person for a consultation with Dr. Latner. Our promise, to every patient, is to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your individual needs. What’s more, we can explain how every service works, so that you’re completely comfortable with what we recommend. We don’t want any patient to agree to a treatment plan they don’t understand or aren’t fully comfortable with.

Call us today for an appointment with Dr. Latner. Our Los Angeles team is looking forward to helping you.

What If Dental Implants Aren’t Right for Me?

June 6, 2013

restorative dentistryFor patients who are missing one or more teeth, dental implants can do a lot to restore natural functionality and appearance. But as effective as they are, they aren’t right for everyone. It takes a certain amount of bone to support the implant posts that anchor a dental implants restoration. If that isn’t there, dental implants may not be an immediate option. So what might your alternatives be?

In some cases, it may be possible for you to become a candidate through bone grafting. The bone grafting process involves the transplant of bone tissue to where you need it, or a synthetic material may also be used. The result afterwards is a jaw that’s strong enough to anchor one or more implants.

In other cases, traditional options are always possible. Even though they don’t mimic the natural structure of teeth with a prosthetic root, traditional bridges, partial dentures, and full dentures can help you speak clearer, enjoy a more balanced diet. They can also help you improve the appearance of your smile and your confidence.

Do you have gaps in your smile but have been told that dental implants aren’t right for you? Find out how Dr. Latner of Westside Dental Associates can help. Explore our services to find out about our restorative dentistry options, and call us to reserve a consultation appointment. We’re serve patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Vista, and beyond.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

April 18, 2013

Earlier this month, we talked about our preference for white fillings, especially in connection with a tool like air abrasion. We cited their resiliency and appearance as key reasons for this; not only can the bond between a tooth and a white filling last for many years, white fillings support the natural structure of teeth in a way that metal fillings don’t, and they look completely natural.

Here’s what you can expect from treatment with white fillings.

First, Dr. Latner will remove the decay from your tooth, using air abrasion if possible. Then, when the tooth has been prepped, Dr. Latner will take the composite resin he’ll be using and tint it to match the shade of your tooth. When the right color has been achieved, the resin will be put in place and hardened with a curing lamp. Afterwards, Dr. Latner will sculpt and polish your white filling until it looks perfect and fits your bite correctly.

In some cases, we may still need to rely on metal fillings, or on a more advanced service like crowns, inlays, or onlays, but when possible, we prefer to use white fillings.

Call Westside Dental Associates to restore one or more teeth with a white filling. We serve patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West LA, Mar Visa, and surrounding communities.

The Benefits of All-Porcelain Crowns

March 31, 2013

Filed under: Restorative Dentistry,Uncategorized — Tags: , — Les Latner @ 7:41 am

When teeth become damaged or badly decayed, restorative care becomes essential. For a single tooth in need of help, dentists often turn to all-porcelain crowns. With an all-porcelain crown, it’s possible to provide patients with restored functionality, as well results that blend in with the rest of their smile and look natural.

How is that possible?

It has to do with the way all-porcelain crowns reflect light. Instead of looking unnatural, they reflect light the way natural tooth enamel does. Compare this with the more opaque look at a porcelain-covered metal crown.

Crown Placement

An all-porcelain crown can be placed in just a couple of visits. During the first, your dentist will prep the tooth by numbing area with a gel and a local anesthetic. Then, when the damaged portion of the tooth has been removed and an impression has been taken, a temporary crown will be put in place.

Based on the impression and your doctor’s unique plan for you, a trained ceramist will carefully create a custom-made crown. When it’s finished the patient will return for a second appointment, during which the final crown will be put in place.

Do you need to repair a decayed or broken tooth with an all-porcelain crown? Call us today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.

Improved Functionality with Dental Implants

March 22, 2013

In our last post, we mentioned that dental implants may one day be replaced by bioengineered teeth grown from stem cells. Until that day, however, dental implants will be one of the best ways to replace missing teeth and enjoy improved functionality.

That’s because dental implants use a prosthetic root to anchor teeth to the jaw. What’s more, your prosthetic root is made from titanium, a biocompatible metal. Over time, your implant(s) will bond with the bone in your jaw to create a stable foundation.

Why is all this important?

Because missing roots lead to bone loss, which can eventually lead to the loss of other teeth. Dental implants try to prevent all that by replacing the missing root and preserving the jaw.

Not every patient is a candidate for dental implants though. To find out about your restorative dentistry options, call Westside Dental Associates to reserve an appointment with Dr. Latner. We’re happy to provide care to patients of all ages from all around the Los Angeles area.

Is It Possible To Grow New Teeth? It May Be In the Future

March 15, 2013

Right now, one of the best ways for a dentist to restore the natural functionality of his or her patient’s smile is with dental implants. But that could be changing very soon.

Recently, the Journal of Dental Research published research revealing that stem cells taken from a patient’s own gum tissue can be used to bioengineer new teeth. The result is a new tooth more effective than what dental implants can provide.

The process involves taking gum tissues, isolating a particular combination of cells, and then implanting them in the patient’s jaw. From there, those cells will develop into a new tooth.

You won’t find too many dentists offering this service just yet, though. Bioteeth are still just a matter of research. But with the passage of time, it’s not unreasonable to expect that this process could become the new standard, giving patients a genuinely natural smile again.

To learn more about this revolutionary discovery, click here to read the article. And to find out how Dr. Latner of Westside Dental Associates can help you with a missing tooth, call our office. We serve patients from all around the Los Angeles area.

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.

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