A fear of the dentist is a very common phobia in adults. Dr. Handshuh has two different sedation dentistry options for those who need extra help overcoming their anxiety in the dentists office. If you have mild nervousness, Dr. Handshuh can provide nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, to help you relax. When inhaled, this gas produces a feeling of euphoria, which allows the patient to feel at ease while they receive the dental treatment that they need. The effects dissipate soon after the gas is shut off, so you should be able to drive yourself home.

For patients who have a more extreme fear, Dr. Handshuh can prescribe an oral medication. Youll need to have it filled yourself; you will take it the day of your examination. This medicine will greatly relax you, and you may need to arrange a ride home with a trusted friend of family member, as the effects will stay with you longer than they would with nitrous oxide.

Our office is up-to-date, which means that our efficiency helps us better meet the needs of our patients. We use paperless charting for each of our records to ensure that your paperwork wont get misplaced, and it is easily accessible to every member of our reliable team.

Many of our patients dont like to hear the sound of a dental drill as we repair cavities. Dr. Handshuh can use air abrasion in certain circumstances, because it eliminates the ominous sound and feeling of traditional drilling. Youll simply lay back as she sprays and buffers away the decay in your smile.

We use a diode laser to provide relief to patients who need gum treatments. This laser enables us to perform non-surgical periodontal procedures as well as select soft-tissue procedures. This technology also allows our Lakewood team to treat canker and cold sores.

We also have VELscope, which we can use to identify areas of concern in your gums and other tissues. Oral cancer is a silent killer, and Dr. Handshuh does not want to put her patients health at risk. We can shine the VELscope light, which is painless, into your mouth to search for any spots that may be developing (or have already developed) into oral cancer. We will respond swiftly when necessary.

Dr. Handshuh was born in the state of Washington and moved to Cerritos, California as a child. She attended public schools in Lakewood and graduated from Mayfair High School. Dr. Handshuh started college at California State University at Long Beach as an Art General Major. While going to school, she was working as a dental assistant in Downey and Long Beach. She enjoyed working in dentistry and eventually changed her major to Dental Hygiene. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from USC, graduating cum laude in 1986.She worked as a dental hygienist for 3 years and decided to go further, applying to dental school. She was looking forward to being able to do more for patients and using more of her artistry skills by becoming a dentist. She was accepted into the UCLA School of Dentistry and graduated in 1994.She received awards of merit in Oral Medicine, Special Patient Care, and for Team Approach to Patient Care. She was elected to the Honorary Dental Society Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Epsilon Zeta chapter, for superior achievement in dental school.

In 1997, Dr. Handshuh started working in her current practice in Lakewood, taking over the practice of Peter Moskowitz when he retired. She has enjoyed working in the area she grew up in, seeing family, friends, and neighbors as well as patients from Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower, Long Beach, Cypress, Artesia and surrounding cities. She loves the ability to help people become comfortable in their mouths, obtaining and keeping oral health. One of her favorite things about practicing dentistry is meeting new people, getting to know them, their interests and joys. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to their oral health and well-being, hopefully making friends along the way.