Mary, our Treatment Coordinator, is available to present your proposed treatment plan and answer any questions you may have regarding what has been planned. She is able to explain things in an easy to understand format and feels it is important for each patient to fully understand what their treatment requirements are. Today, there are many choices in dental treatment and we feel it is important to be able to help our patients make the right decisions to get healthy.

We are very proud of our Chairside Team and know that you are in good hands with either Betty, Patty or Rochelle. They are Registered Dental Assistants and are quite capable of performing any duties required of them. Betty, Patty and Rochelle are committed to providing exceptional patient care and making your experience at Life Smile Dental Center a positive one. This team is responsible for maintaining our high standards for infection control. Look for them in the treatment rooms.

Our Hygiene Team is incomparable. Elena, Jeanette, Eva and Palig are dedicated team members who are interested in helping you maintain your dental health. They feel that patient education is an essential key to promoting good oral hygiene. Since we all know that healthy teeth and gums are the foundation for total health, they make it a priority to help you understand what it takes to keep your teeth for life.

Our entire team is involved in on-going educational seminars to sharpen our skills and keep us abreast of all the newest developments and research. Not only is your comfort important to us, but being able to provide the very latest in dental care to our patients is something we strive for daily.

Mary Goldstein - Front Desk Admin n nIt’s funny how “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans”. I started working in a dental office at 16 for an orthodontist while still in high school in NJ. I really liked it because he taught me so many different things and even though I was young, he depended on me for most everything. I continued working during college and when I married my Neal at 20, I still worked there. I later worked as an assistant in a general dentist’s office and up until I had my first son Evan. I stopped working then to raise my little man and 4 years later my second son Justin was born. I didn’t work but we continued to go to that office for all our dental work, he never charged us. He said we were like his family. He was a special man. I guess I was lucky

When I decided to go back to work after Justin was old enough to go to kindergarten, I worked again in a dental office as an assistant which evolved into the office manager. I worked there up until we bought a house in the country because the commute was too far. Ive worked in dental ever since and when we decided to move to California in 2004 I worked for a dentist where I met Cindy. We both left that job but said how great it would be if we could work together again and here we both are working for Life Smile Dental.

I guess Ive met great people along the way and Ive had some special moments. Ive seen how a smile has changed lives for the better. I remember a young mother with a little girl coming in and when she smiled she would always cover her mouth because she was ashamed of her teeth. The day came when she had her new smile, I dont know who was more excited. We both hugged and cried. She looked beautiful. After that, when she would come in she had a great big smile. She said people would ask her what she did because she looked so good. She would just smile. We knew. n you come into our office, we want to make it personal. We know your name. We know if youre going through something tough or if you have good things happening. We know you might be a little nervous or vulnerable. We care about you like we would want someone to care for us, because thats how we like it.

I began working at Life Smile Dental Center in September, 1999. I enjoy coming to work because there is a great environment and everyones goal is to make our patients as comfortable as possible and to improve their smile. As Dr. Seastrom always says We treat our patients as we like to be treated.

When I am not at work, I enjoy spending my time with my husband Fred. We have been married for 25 years and have two sons, Ben and Nathan. Ben is 22 years old and he is going to college and working part time. My other son Nathan, who is 14 years old and is in the 8th grade.

Patty Vargas - Registered Dental Assistant n nHello…my name is Patty Vargas. For the over 22 years now I have been a registered dental assistant. At the age of 16 I began my dental career as a sterilization coordinator. As time went on, I got my license as a Registered Dental Assistant. I have always worked in the San Fernando Valley, which is where I am from. I have worked for Dr. Seastrom since 2006. The reason I love my job is having the ability to help people and make a difference in their lives. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a person love their smile. I have been married to Eduardo Vargas for the past 19 years and we have one son named Julian age 7. My son just started 2nd grade this year and enjoys playing T-Ball. When I’m not at work assisting, I enjoy decorating, party planning and playing my part as a T-Ball mom

Jeanette Lachman - Registered Dental Hygienist n nAs far back as I can remember I would visit the dentist very often with my parents. Coming from Europe and not knowing much about dental care, they needed a lot of dental work done on their teeth. At the age of 16, I began working as a circulating dental assistant at my parent’s dentist. The hygienist in that office was from Hawaii and went to school there. She became my mentor, as did the doctor. They were so caring of their patients and made them feel at home. The doctor was instrumental in my decision to become a dental hygienist. When I was accepted to the LACC/UCLA program, he was so excited and could hardly wait for me to graduate and work with him. Unfortunately, he passed away just 2 months before I graduated and I never had the pleasure of working with him

What a humbling experience to see most of the young men needing extractions and then being fitted with dentures. I also worked I Mobile Clinics on the weekends in underprivileged communities. It really made me feel helpful to work with these men and women who could not afford dental treatment.

After 32 years of practicing as a hygienist, I am still very enthusiastic and committed to my profession. My goal is to educate and do the best for my patients. I have been at Life Smile Dental for 12 years and work here 3 days a week. I also work in Valencia one day a week in an office of a colleague from UCLA.

Eva Wharton - Registered Dental Hygienist n nMy name is Eva Hallberg Wharton. I have been steeped in dentistry since I was a child. My father was attending USC Dental School when I was born. My first stories were from Grey’s Anatomy. I started working for my Dad as a ‘gofer’ and a ‘do what no one else wanted to do’ person when I was in middle school and summers. When I was old enough, I worked as a dental assistant during the summers and after school

I graduated in 1975 from USC Dental Hygiene School. After working for numerous other dentists I arrived at my final destination in July 1981 with Dr. Seastrom. It has been my pleasure to have worked with someone all of these years that I can respect.

My 2 kids, Michelle and Ryan have grown up with Dr. Seastrom as their dentist. It is hard to believe that they are already grown with families of their own. I now have 3 grandchildren ages 3 girl, 7 boy, and 10 another girl. My husband Michael was diagnosed with Parkinsons over 20 years ago and has plunged into researching the best care and treatment options. As a result of his growing medical needs I have dropped down to only one day a week on Tuesdays.

Most satisfying I have found is watching the children of our patients grow up, have kids of their own and I am now seeing them as patients. Sharing the Dental Education that I have learned from my dad, my instructors at school and the continuation courses to numerous to count with a new crop of children is a joy. Of course Dr. Seastrom is always one to share with us the courses and numerous articles that he has absorbed and learned.

Elena Suarez - Registered Dental Hygienist I have been working as a Registered Dental Hygienist for 20 years. Prior to that, I was a Registered Dental Assistant working front and back office duties for a dentist in the Glendale area. After working there for over 5 years, I decided to obtain a dental hygiene degree at Pasadena City College. As a hygienist, I have worked at the VA facility in Los Angeles as well as a nursing home in the Pasadena area. There I helped those in need maintain a healthy smile

I am married to my husband, Pete, for 20 years and have three beautiful children and a Shih Tzu named Lacey. My oldest daughter, Gabby is a smart and talented soccer player, who plays at the highest level and travels throughout the United States. My son Danny loves to play basketball, baseball and Xbox. Diana is my youngest and she loves to play basketball and singing in the childrens choir. Needless to say, I am a very busy sports mom and I enjoy every minute.

I have been working for Dr. Seastrom and Dr. Whitley since I graduated the hygiene program and have grown as a hygienist through my years of experience. My goal as a hygienist is to empower my patients to achieve optimal dental health. As the gap between the medical and dental fields are narrowing, as research is showing a strong connection between periodontal disease and systemic conditions, it is becoming more apparent the importance of maintaining a healthy mouth. Heart disease, diabetes, and systemic infections are just a few conditions that have some relationship to gum disease. As bacterial levels increase in the mouth, the gums start to swell and patients may or may not experience bleeding and tenderness in the gums, and sometimes bad odor. It is estimated that 80% of the population has some form of gum disease.

I believe that the key to a healthy smile is education and understanding, and I enjoy helping my patients achieve this. If you have gums that tend to bleed easily or if you struggle with heart disease or diabetes, allow me the opportunity to help you take steps toward healthy gums and improved health. Im here on Wednesdays and I love a challenge.

Palig Negosian - Registered Dental Hygienist n nHi Everyone. For over 12 years now I have enjoyed working on Fridays with Life Smile Dental. I’ve been married now for 7 years and we have a 2 year old baby girl. We’ve enjoyed traveling and going to concerts before our daughter came into our lives, And now we enjoy everyday adventures with our little one