Why You Should Clean Your Tongue and How to Do It

Cleaning your tongue should be a part of your everyday oral hygiene routine. In fact, you should clean your tongue each time you brush your teeth. Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS of Los Angeles, CA wants our patients to understand every aspect of good oral care. Read on to take some tips for cleaning your tongue and find out why you should be doing it!

A Cleaner Mouth

Your tongue is like a sponge; it can really trap bacteria well. Because of all the tiny hair-like taste buds, the film of bacteria that forms on the tongue becomes trapped. Not cleaning your tongue can add to the plaque build-up on your teeth and it can promote gum disease.

Fresh Breath

Another great benefit of cleaning your tongue is fresh breath. Bad breath is caused by bacteria, so the bacteria on your tongue are very likely to cause a foul odor.

How to Clean Your Tongue

You should be cleaning your tongue whenever you brush your teeth; about two or three times per day. You can purchase a tongue scraper, but your toothbrush will work just as well. Take your toothbrush and place it on the back of your tongue. Press down firmly and drag the toothbrush down to the tip of your tongue. Do not press too hard; you do not want to injury any taste buds. Rinse off your toothbrush after each stroke. Keep repeating these strokes until your tongue looks clean.

Oral care and professional cleaning are both essential to keeping a healthy mouth. To set up your cleaning and examination with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS in our Los Angeles, CA office, call us at (310) 657-2200 or visit our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com. 

The Intraoral Camera

As technology evolves, we like to evolve with it. Advancing the technology we use here in our office means more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans for our patients. One way Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS has advanced our Los Angeles, CA dental practice is by implementing an intraoral camera.

An intraoral camera is a revolutionary piece of equipment that allows us to take a closer look than ever before. Within a pen-like device is a camera that can go into our patients’ mouths and take pictures. We can use this as a live video feed to show our patients what we are looking at or we can take pictures to save for the future. Since this is all digital, we are able to save those pictures to instantly reference in future visits, as well as send the pictures home with the patient. This helps our patients keep a better eye on their condition so they can report any noticeable changes to us. We can also send the images to other doctors or insurance companies instantly.

The real health benefit of an intraoral camera is how close it allows us to get. We are now able to see up close areas in the mouth that were difficult to see before. This helps Dr. Haeri more accurately diagnose a condition.

Changing technology helps us better our office and the health of our patients. To learn more about the technology we use here in our Los Angeles, CA office, visit our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS, call us at (310) 657-2200. 

Bone Grafts for Dental Implant Placement

Dental implants are the ideal replacement option for missing teeth; however the jawbone needs to be in the right condition to place dental implants. For patients whose jawbone has deteriorated too much to hold a dental implant, Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS performs bone grafts right in her Los Angeles, CA dental office.

Bone grafts consist of building up regions of the jawbone with bone fragments from another area of the mouth. These bone fragments are packed into the jawbone to heal and regenerate even more bone tissue to grow. The end result is a healthy and strong jawbone that can hold a dental implant for a long time. These bone grafts are frequently performed in the space between the upper molars and the sinus cavity, and the ridge where the teeth are settled in.

When the sinus cavity is too low, sometimes there is not enough space to place the implants. In this case, the bone graft is called a sinus augmentation or a sinus lift. In other cases, the ridge where teeth are settled in has deteriorated too much after a tooth goes missing. This is called ridge modification or expansion.

If you are aiming to replace your missing tooth with a dental implant, bone grafting may be needed first. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS of Los Angeles, CA, call our office at (310) 657-2200. Appointments may also be made through our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com. 

Inlays and Onlays

When teeth sustain damage, they can become weak, painful, and unsightly. Inlays and onlays are restoration options Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS offers here in her Los Angeles, CA dental. Weak teeth need to be strengthened and protected so they can continue to do their job and look good.

We can create gold, porcelain, or composite resin inlays and onlays for our patients. Our custom restorations are able to look just like part of our patients’ natural teeth, so they are unnoticeable in their smile. We create these custom inlays and onlays by taking an impression of the tooth.  After any decay is removed, we take this impression and send it to a dental laboratory so they can create the custom inlay or onlay.

An inlay replaces the chewing surface of the tooth, without any of the cusps. An onlay replaces the chewing surface, plus one or more of the cusps. They replace more tooth than a filling, but not as much as a crown. They are perfect for damage more than a filling could hold, but not so much that a full crown is needed.

If you are experiencing pain or sensitivity to a tooth, that is a sign of a weak spot. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS in Los Angeles, CA, call our office at (310) 657-2200 or visit our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com. 

Lumineers for a Perfect Smile

If you are looking for a perfect smile, look no further than our Los Angeles, CA dental practice. Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS offers Lumineers to her patients who want to fix dental imperfections big and small. Lumineers instantly fix the look of gaps, cracks, discoloration, and much more!

Lumineers are very thin ceramic shells that are bonded to your existing teeth. They are thin but very strong. With good care, Lumineers can stay in good shape for over twenty years. Lumineers are great for fixing the look of misaligned teeth, chips, fractures, stained teeth, misshapen teeth, and more. If you’ve been hiding your smile because you are self-conscious about an imperfection, Lumineers are the perfect option for you. Not only do they create a bright and beautiful smile, but they do so without major dental work like braces or surgery.

To create Lumineers, Dr. Haeri will take impressions of your teeth. These impressions, along with photos of your smile and additional information, will be used by a dental laboratory to create your unique set of Lumineers. Since there is no preparation needed to be done to the teeth beforehand, you won’t need to wear any temporary Lumineers while your custom ones are being created. During your second visit, Dr. Haeri will bond the Lumineers into place and check for the perfect placement.

If you are looking to brighten up your smile, Lumineers could be just what you’re looking for. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS in Los Angeles, CA, call our office at (310) 657-2200 or visit our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com.