About Jack Wasserstein, DDS

I am a Periodontist in Valencia CA and I have been in private practice in since 1990. I am blessed to be able to say that my work is also my play. I hope to share my insights, with you, that I have cultivated over the last 20 years.

Author Archive | Jack Wasserstein, DDS

Laser treatment for a gummy smile

A gummy smile, gingival hyperplasia, is very common following orthodontic treatment. While this condition usually resolves with time it happens very slowly. Cosmetically it is more desirable to show more tooth and less gum, so a simple procedure called a gingivectomy is employed. The gingivectomy is performed to remove the redundant gum tissues around the […]

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Laser treatment for Herpes Labialis

Herpes Labialis is commonly known as a cold sore or fever blisters. The lesion that forms on the lip is caused by the Herpes virus. The virus lies dormant inside a nerve cell and when released into the surrounding tissues it causes the lesion. The lesion is formed by the destruction of skin cells as […]

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Scaling and root planing

Periodontal disease treatment

How Is Periodontal Disease Treated The two main goals of periodontal treatment are the elimination of subgingival plaque and calculus, and to reduce the gum pockets to the 0-3mm range where they are cleansable. If a regenerative procedure is being attempted then an additional goal is to regenerate lost periodontal support around the tooth, primarily […]

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How is Periodontal disease diagnosed?

Periodontal disease is diagnosed using and instrument called a periodontal probe. The probe is inserted between the gingiva and the tooth. Gentle pressure is used until the probe meets resistance, and then a measurement is taken. Typically, the tooth is probed at 6 different points. Bleeding upon withdrawing or during probing is always diagnostic of […]

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Etiology of Periodontal disease

What Causes Periodontal Disease? Periodontal disease is caused by bacterial plaque. This plaque forms continuously throughout the day and night. Bacteria which are resident in the mouth mix with food particles and elements of the saliva to form this thin colorless layer which coats the tooth surface. With time, the soft plaque layer picks up […]

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Digital workflow for guided dental implant surgery

Digital workflow for guided dental implant surgery

An exciting and practical reality for dental implant treatment planning. Using the CEREC CADCAM a digital impression is made of the patients teeth. Specially designed software is used to create digital teeth which can be exported into a 3D scan of the patient. The digital teeth are used to optimize dental implant placement both within […]

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Tooth removal using EZ Extract system

This case involves removing tooth #7 and placing an immediate implant. A key to success for immediate loading is the preservation of bone and gingival architecture during the tooth extraction. The EZ Extract system helps to accomplish this by elevating the tooth vertically out of its tooth socket, as opposed to lateral elevation. Lateral elevation […]

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About Periodontal disease

About Periodontal Disease The following synopsis of periodontal disease has been simplified for the general public. It is not inclusive, but speaks generally about the nature of this disease. Periodontal disease is a diseased state of the tissues surrounding the tooth. These tissues are the gingiva (gum), bone and periodontal ligament. As the disease progresses […]

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Halitosis (bad breath)

In addition to our blogs, here are some other links on this topic Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Halitosis&oldid=342894878

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Is Arrestin a therapeutic treatment for reducing gum pockets?

ARESTIN® is an antibiotic, minocycline hydrocloride, which is manufactured into microspheres. It is placed inside gum pockets with the expectation that it will kill the bacteria that cause gum disease. Because of the way that it is manufactured into microshperes, it can last inside the gum pocket for up to 21 days. OraPhrama who manufactures ARESTIN® claims […]

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Should I try to save the tooth with a root canal or get a dental implant?

This is an everyday question that can only be answered within certain guidelines as not all situations are the same. One of my mantras is to treat every mouth as if it was my own. So when faced with that question I typically put it on myself, as to what I would want. In general […]

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Should I get a bridge or dental implant(s)?

As a rule a dental implant is a superior treatment option to a bridge. The dental implant does not involve treatment to the adjacent teeth as a bridge would. Subsequently it is more conservative. It is more comfortable and hygienic to have individual teeth than a bridge. While the initial cost of an implant may […]

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