Westside Dental Associates

Comfortable, Effective Root Canal Therapy

October 23, 2012

Is a severe toothache making it difficult for you to eat? Does drinking hot or cold drinks make you flinch? Have you noticed any swelling in your gums?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need root canal therapy.

Root canal therapy has a reputation for being unpleasant, but with today’s technology and techniques, that doesn’t have to be the case at all, especially when paired with sedation dentistry.

At Westside Dental Associates in Los Angeles, you’ll find a friendly, experience team ready to help you receive the important care you need to save your tooth, relieve you of your painful symptoms, and improve your oral health.

The purpose of root canal therapy is to help you save your tooth. Because of deep decay or a serious injury, your tooth—and the interior layer in particular—is vulnerable to infection. Root canal therapy, then, is intended to protect the tooth by removing the vulnerable interior pulp.

During root canal therapy, the interior of your tooth will be cleaned and filled with an inert substance. Then, to protect your tooth, it will be capped by a crown, protecting it from harm in the future and restoring your smile’s functionality and health.

If you’re worried that you might need a root canal, call Westside Dental Associates to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Latner. Our office serves patients from all around the Los Angeles area.

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!

Effective Pediatric Dentistry for the Los Angeles Area

October 9, 2012

Every smile is important, even a smile that’s still developing. That’s why Dr. Latner and his team at Westside Dental Associates in Los Angeles offer pediatric dentistry. Through our commitment to serving children as well as adults—and Dr. Latner’s commitment to teaching pediatric dentistry as UCLA—we’re helping patients of all ages enjoy better oral and overall health.

As is the case with caring for adults, the most important aspect of pediatric dentistry is the regular checkup. During a regular checkup, Dr. Latner can look for signs of tooth decay or gum disease, common dental conditions that have serious implications for overall wellbeing. What’s more, a pediatric checkup also gives Dr. Latner the opportunity to check on the development of teeth.

Our team also likes to take part of every pediatric dentistry visit to talk to our young patients about brushing and flossing. Effective brushing and flossing take practice and instruction. We can offer some of that in our Los Angeles office, but it’s up to parents to also provide instruction at home.

Is your little one nearing their first birthday? Then it’s time to start planning for their very first visit. Call Westside Dental Associates to schedule your child’s first (or second, or third…) visit. We want to see all of our young Los Angeles-area patients grow healthy smiles. Our team can work together with you to help them develop the healthy habits that will make that possible as they move from childhood into adolescence and adulthood.

Call us today!

Dentistry without a Drill from Dr. Latner

October 2, 2012

What, more than anything, keeps you from regular dental visits? For some it’s the sounds and sensations created by a dental drill. For others it’s the shot of anesthetic just about every filling appointment begins with. In both cases, air abrasion can help.

Air abrasion uses a high-powered stream of air and powder, instead of a drill, to remove decay from teeth. What’s more, because there’s no drilling involved, a shot is often unnecessary. All of which means you can receive the important care you need without two of the most dreaded aspects of dentistry.

Not every cavity can be treated with air abrasion, though; it’s intended for small cavities on the chewing surfaces of back teeth. But with regular checkups at Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, it’s more likely that any cavities you get can be treated with air abrasion instead of traditional tools.

How long has it been since your last checkup with Dr. Latner and his team at Westside Dental Associates? If it’s been more than six months, consider calling us today at (310) 477-1081 to reserve your appointment. At Westside Dental Associates you’ll find that Dr. Latner offers a comprehensive selection of services to meet the preventive, cosmetic, and restorative needs of his Los Angeles-area patients.

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.

Choose Cosmetic Bonding for a Quick Smile Makeover

August 22, 2012

Here at Dr. Latner’s blog, we’ve said a lot about our cosmetic dentistry services, among them porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, and Invisalign. But there’s one service we haven’t talked about much—cosmetic bonding.

In today’s post, we’d like to talk spend some time talking about this simple cosmetic dentistry service and how it can help patients from Los Angeles and beyond enjoy a more attractive smile and improved confidence.

What Is Cosmetic Bonding?

Of all the cosmetic dentistry services offered at Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, the one that cosmetic bonding is most like is porcelain veneers.

As you might already know, porcelain veneers are designed to hide imperfections like cracked, chipped, or misaligned teeth. They do so using thin pieces of porcelain that are custom shaped and shaded to match your overall appearance.

Cosmetic bonding is very similar, though it uses composite resin instead of porcelain. What’s more, cosmetic bonding can be completed in just one visit, instead of the two or three visits it can take to fully complete a smile makeover with porcelain veneers.

If you have minor imperfections you’d like to correct, don’t wait any longer to find out how Dr. Latner can help you. Call our Los Angeles dental office to reserve a consultation appointment. We provide excellent cosmetic dentistry and aesthetic restorative dentistry to patients from all around the Los Angeles area.

Improve Your Smile with Invisalign

August 15, 2012

Do you want a straight, beautiful smile but feel nervous about committing to braces? At Dr. Latner’s Los Angeles dental office, we offer a clear alternative to traditional braces that’s helping patients everywhere achieve exactly what they’re looking for. It’s called Invisalign, and with it we’re helping busy professionals improve their confidence, their oral health, and their overall quality of life.

How Does A Straighter Smile Improve Oral Health?

You already knew a straighter smile can result in greater self-confidence, but you might be wondering how a straighter smile can also improve oral health and overall wellbeing.

The answer to that is simple.

When teeth aren’t spaced right or are misaligned, they’re more vulnerable to common oral health problems like tooth decay and gum disease. What’s more, misalignment can also cause neuromuscular problems.

But Invisalign can help. Using a series of clear, acrylic aligners, Invisalign will bring your teeth into their ideal alignment, offering them extra protection from each of these.

Other Benefits of Invisalign

Improved oral health is just one benefit of using Invisalign, though. Don’t forget about that first one we mentioned—improved confidence. If you’ve ever been afraid to smile in front of friends or family, Dr. Latner and his Los Angeles team can help.

Another benefit of Invisalign is that it’s more comfortable. Dr. Latner will use 3D computer imaging to design your treatment, ensuring that it’s as precise and comfortable as possible.

Want to Learn More About Invisalign?

If you’d like to know whether Invisalign is right for you, Dr. Latner can help you decide. Call our Los Angeles dental office today to schedule your consultation appointment. You can also visit our Invisalign page to learn more.

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.

Creating New Smiles with the Give Back a Smile Program

June 6, 2012

As a dedicated Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, Dr. Les Latner takes great pride in creating beautiful smiles for his patients. But as important as every smile is, some are more precious than others. That’s why Dr. Latner is proud to participate in the Give Back a Smile program from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Restoring Vulnerable Smiles, Free of Charge

If you’ve never heard of it before, the Give Back a Smile program is dedicated to helping survivors of domestic abuse reclaim their lives and their smiles with free cosmetic dentistry treatment. Because a beautiful, functional smile is important for more than just self-confidence, Dr. Latner is happy to provide treatment to those in need.

Our cosmetic dentistry services include:

These are some of the most popular and effective cosmetic dentistry services available anywhere, and through the Give Back a Smile program, domestic abuse survivors have access to them completely free of charge.

What’s more, in honor of all of his work in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Latner was recently given a special award from the AACDCF for his work with domestic abuse survivors.

Would you like to learn more about the Give Back a Smile program? Visit them at their website here or call them at (800)773-4227. You can also explore Dr. Latner’s cosmetic dentistry options by exploring our site, or you can give us a call with your questions or to schedule a visit. 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.