Doctor of Dental Surgery
The professional dental degree awarded after completion of an accredited four-year dental school program. The DDS is the foundation every periodontist builds on before specialty training begins.
Specialist periodontist
Meet Dr. Angel Rodriguez
Board-certified specialist periodontist (DDS, CAGS, MSD) with 15+ years in downtown Los Angeles. Every patient sees Dr. Rodriguez personally, every consultation, every case.
DDS · CAGS · MSD Board-certified periodontist 15+ years experience
Specialist training
Credentials and training
Board certification in periodontology is what separates a specialist periodontist from a general dentist who offers periodontal procedures. The pathway is dental school, then an accredited postgraduate residency in periodontics, then board examination. Dr. Rodriguez completed each step and continues to maintain the credentials below.
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study
A formal postgraduate qualification awarded for completion of an accredited residency in periodontics. The residency is focused entirely on gum disease, soft-tissue management, bone biology, and dental implants — the clinical foundation of the specialty.
Master of Science in Dentistry
A research-based postgraduate degree completed alongside specialty training. The MSD signifies academic and research depth in periodontology beyond the clinical residency, and is the formal pathway to specialist status in the field.
In addition to the degrees above, Dr. Rodriguez holds board certification in periodontology — the discipline-specific specialty board that recognizes a periodontist as having met the standard of training, knowledge, and clinical judgement expected of a specialist in the field.
Experience
Years of practice
15+ Years specializing in periodontics
15+ years specializing in periodontics — gum disease, recession, grafting, crown lengthening, dental implants, and the foundation work that supports them. Every one of those years has been spent on the same set of clinical problems, treated under specialist standards.
That kind of focused experience is what shows up in the diagnosis. Pocket depths, CT-scan bone levels, recession patterns, and the way existing dental work is interacting with the underlying tissue — these inputs decide what the right treatment actually is. 15+ years of doing nothing but this work makes those judgements faster, more precise, and more honest about what each option will look like ten and twenty years from now.
Dr. Rodriguez has practiced in downtown Los Angeles throughout. Many patients have been with the practice for the better part of a decade, and the long-term maintenance relationships are part of what the work is built around — not an afterthought.
What Dr. Rodriguez treats
Specialist focus areas
Dr. Rodriguez is a specialist periodontist, not a general dentist offering periodontal procedures on the side. The day-to-day case mix is built around the gums, the bone around the teeth, and the soft-tissue side of implant dentistry. The areas below are where his diagnostic and surgical attention sits.
Gum disease treatment
Bleeding, swelling, persistent bad breath, or pockets your hygienist has flagged. Most cases are treated without surgery once the diagnosis is clear; surgical access is reserved for what non-surgical treatment cannot resolve.
Read about gum disease treatmentGum grafting
Surgical options to rebuild lost gum tissue, including pinhole and traditional grafting, decided by where the recession is and how the case will hold up long term.
Read about gum graftingCrown lengthening
Functional re-shaping to expose enough tooth structure for a restoration to work properly. Often needed before a crown, onlay, or veneer can be done well.
Read about crown lengtheningDental implants
Implant planning and surgical placement by the same specialist who manages the gum and bone the implant relies on, with full implant restoration options including bridges and full-arch.
Read about dental implantsBone grafting
Foundation procedures to rebuild lost bone before implants can be placed safely. Often the difference between a case that works long term and one that does not.
Read about bone graftingSinus lifts
Specialist surgical procedure to recreate adequate bone height in the upper jaw before implants can be placed in the back of the mouth, where natural sinus anatomy often gets in the way.
Periodontal maintenance
Long-term, specialist-supervised cleaning and monitoring after gum disease has been treated. The maintenance phase is what protects the work that has already been done.
What sets Dr. Rodriguez apart
Why patients choose Dr. Rodriguez
Dr. Rodriguez does not believe in quick fixes. Dental work needs to last twenty, thirty, forty years, and the plan is built around what will still be holding two decades from now. Preservation comes first, replacement only when the case truly calls for it.
Patients describe him as thorough, skilled, and simply the best at what he does. He takes time to explain everything clearly, answers every question, and makes complex treatment feel manageable. That is not an accident; it is how the practice is run.
Many patients have been with Dr. Rodriguez for years, some for the better part of a decade. They come back for the long-term maintenance, the ongoing decisions, and the kind of honest, unhurried care that builds trust over time. The relationships are part of the work, not an afterthought.
Patients consistently say they feel comfortable and at ease, even through challenging cases. Dr. Rodriguez is committed to providing you with the best possible outcome, and he is honest about scope. If a procedure is better handled elsewhere, he will say so and refer out.
Patient reviews
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Speaking as a patient of Dr. Rodriguez for the past 18 months, I take the greatest pleasure in recommending the team at Perio Implant Professionals without reservation. I have received expert care and my oral health has never been better.” — Clive, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “My experiences with Perio Implants have always been exceptional. The entire staff is very professional, personable, polite and kind. Dr. Rodriguez is very skilled, knowledgeable, thorough and simply the best. I would definitely refer everyone to Perio Implant Health Professionals.” — Geri, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “I have been coming to PIHP for a few years now and from the first moment I called till this day, it is always a pleasurable, and professional experience. I have had deep cleaning as well as oral surgery performed here and everything is always well explained, in person as well as on paper. Great communication from the whole team. I ALMOST look forward to coming there.” — Michael, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Everyone in the office is super nice and friendly. They take really good care of their patients. Always on time with their appointments. Office is really neat and clean.” — Maria, Los Angeles
How the practice is run
Our practice philosophy
The way Dr. Rodriguez frames it on the practice phone, in the consultation, and in every plan that leaves the office:
Specialist, not volume
Every patient is seen by Dr. Rodriguez personally — every consultation, every diagnostic review, every surgical case. The practice is built around specialist diagnostic time, not throughput. The depth of the diagnosis is what makes the work worth what it costs.
Long-term care
Dental work needs to last twenty, thirty, forty years. The plan is built around what will still be holding two decades from now, not what looks impressive next week. Many patients stay with the practice for the long-term maintenance phase, and the relationships are part of how the work is judged — not an afterthought.
Conservative first
Preservation before replacement. Non-surgical before surgical when the diagnosis allows. The right answer is rarely the most aggressive one, and a fast cosmetic shortcut at thirty often costs the patient much more at forty-five. Doing it right the first time, and only doing what the case truly calls for, is the standard.
Honest about scope
Some treatments are not the right fit for a specialist practice and are better handled elsewhere. We say so, and refer out. Saying no to work we do not believe will deliver durable, long-term results is part of the brand — not a limitation.
Request more info
A thorough specialist consultation with Dr. Rodriguez, including the full diagnostic workup and direct time to walk you through every option. No rush, no pressure, just honest answers about what your case needs.