Dentures vs. Implants

Dentures or implants? If you’re confused about which option is the best for you, Dr. Suzanne Haeri of Los Angeles, CA can help. Our L.A. clinic uses many forms of technology like dentures and implants to transform your smile. 

What Are Dentures?

Dentures are removable appliances used to replace missing teeth and are designed to be placed above your gums. There are three types of dentures:

-Conventional dentures:

This type of denture is placed into your mouth only after all of your teeth are removed and the gum tissue is healed completely.  Typically, the healing process will take several months, so you won’t have teeth for that whole period.

-Immediate dentures:

Unlike conventional dentures, you don’t have to spend time without teeth if you choose immediate dentures. Your Los Angeles, CA dentist will fit dentures in your mouth before your teeth are taken out. After the teeth are removed, the dentures are placed immediately in the mouth. Once the jawbone is healed, Dr. Haeri will tighten your dentures to refit your mouth.

-Partial dentures:

If you’re only missing some of your teeth, you may be a candidate for partial dentures. Using precision attachments, partial dentures are connected to the natural teeth that already remain in your mouth and do not need to be removed. 

What Are Implants?

Implants are a permanent solution to replace crooked or missing teeth. Instead of altering any teeth, implants replicate the root of the natural tooth and bond to your jawbone. Unlike dentures, implants feel like natural teeth and are meant to be cared for like natural teeth. After anesthesia, Dr. Haeri will place a titanium screw into your jaw bone. With an abutment and crown placed on the implant, the new tooth will appear just like a natural tooth and remain permanent. 

To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.

Dental Dentures

Dr. Suzanne Haeri prides herself on helping patients achieve the best, confidence-boosting smile they can get. For patients with missing teeth, she offers both full and partial dentures. Dental dentures are designed to replace missing teeth as well as the surrounding tissues. They are custom made, removable, and significantly improve the function and appearance of your smile. You can even eat and sleep with them! Dr. Haeri will ensure that your new dentures fit your mouth properly and comfortably.

Full dentures are either “conventional” or “immediate.” Conventional dentures are made after the teeth have been completely removed from the gum tissue and the healing process has had a chance to begin. After that time, this type of full denture is placed in the mouth for eight to twelve weeks. Immediate dentures are made in advance and can be positioned as soon as the teeth are removed. This is a great alternative to conventional dentures because the wearer doesn’t have to go without teeth during the healing process. Partial dentures are also removable and are used when one or more teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. This type of denture requires crowns on the teeth on either side of the space to attach artificial teeth and a cemented-in bridge. Partial dentures fill in the open spaces so that the remaining teeth cannot shift and appears more natural-looking than full dentures.

Other benefits of full and partial dentures include:

- Facial muscle support

- Allows patients to eat food they couldn’t eat without teeth

- Improves the ability to chew, eat, and speak

- Improves appearance and smile

- Improves self-esteem and confidence

Suzanne Haeri DDS practices at 1100 S La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA 90035. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit suzannehaeridds.com or call 310-657-2200.

 

Senior Dental Care

As you age, your dental needs shift. New oral hygiene concerns arise that weren’t present before. Just like the rest of your bones, your teeth weaken when you get older. That’s why brushing and flossing become even more important! After the age of sixty, your risk of periodontal (gum) disease increases. So do the number of cavities and extraction! That’s why it is important to schedule your appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri. She provides dental care for patients of all ages. Learn more by contacting our office in Los Angeles, CA.

 

You mustn't take your dental health for granted. Your teeth are necessary for everyday life! If you are a caretaker for an older individual or are an older patient, it’s important to continue brushing twice daily. Your Los Angeles dentist has some brushing advice for you. First, invest in an electric toothbrush. These are easy to use and affordable. They provide a thorough cleaning of your mouth while using minimal physical effort. Another tip is elongating the brush handle. This makes it easier to reach further areas of your mouth. You can do this at home with a few supplies. Many patients have success with wrapping the handle in foam or rubber. Some even use tongue depressors! Next time you’re at your local grocery store or supermarket, check out the toothbrush aisle. Many brands sell toothbrushes targeted for older patients. These are often gentler on your teeth while being easier to use.

 

If you’ve lost a tooth or are planning on getting some extracted, consider getting dentures. These are affordable and functional. At your appointment, Dr. Haeri measures your mouth. A specialized mold is made from your teeth and sent to a dental laboratory. This creates your personalized dentures. Your dentures fit your mouth perfectly! Having them lets you do all the things you’ve always been able to do.

 

Dr. Suzanne Haeri is a cosmetic and general dentist located in Los Angeles, CA. To schedule an appointment, call her office at 310-657-2200. You can also visit her website.

Dental Avulsion - When a Tooth Gets Knocked Out

The traumatic loss of a tooth isn’t something anybody expects to happen, but it can be prepared for. We provide implants and crowns for tooth replacement at the South Carthay dental office of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, but in some cases, it may be possible for a lost tooth to be saved. To do so requires carefully following certain protocols.

When a tooth is completely displaced from its gum pocket, we call that “dental avulsion.” There may be a tooth-saving container in a nearby first aid kit, but otherwise, the tooth should be lifted by its crown and rinsed with saline. After that, a patient may try putting it back in its socket and heading for the dental office. If this cannot be done, other options are to hold in in the cheek or to transport it in a cup of milk.

The loss of a tooth is an emergency, but gashes on the face should take higher priority. A tooth that is cracked at the root cannot be reintegrated and will have to be replaced with a prosthetic. A baby tooth should also not be put back in, or else it may fuse with the jaw bone and fail to fall out when it’s supposed to. A pediatric patient may be referred to an orthodontist to keep the gap between their teeth open until the permanent tooth comes in. If an adult tooth cannot be reinserted, the patient may be given a temporary crown until a lasting solution can be provided.

Suzanne Haeri, DDS, is located at 1100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90035. To set up an appointment, call 310-657-2200 or visit Suzanne Haeri DDS and fill out a request.

 

Cracked Teeth

As a dental practice that specializes in cosmetics, we at Dr. Suzanne Haeri’s South Carthay office have restored a lot of teeth with minor cracks and chips. But we also take good care of patients who have a more serious injury. We hope that our patients wear mouthguards when playing contact sports or doing anything dangerous, but if they do break a tooth, we can probably fix it.

Our molars are the only teeth that should be used for chewing. They have multiple roots and wide surfaces to distribute the force of a patient’s bite. The smaller teeth are vulnerable to breaking or tilting when they are repeatedly subjected to force. But even the molars can crack against something harder, such as ice. If a patient breaks a tooth, they should rinse their mouth with warm salt water. For their safety, they should cover the crack or chip with orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum.

We offer a vast array of restorative services. Small cracks in the surface of the front teeth can be covered with veneers, and minor chips may be repairable with bonding. If a molar is broken, we may fabricate a partial crown to fill in the crack or replace a missing cusp. But if a tooth is cracked down to the pulp, we may need to do a root canal procedure to protect against infection. When teeth are broken all the way down to the root, they need to be replaced. In those cases, we offer implants and partial dentures and will discuss a patient’s options after relieving their pain. We also offer Snap-On Smiles for patients who have widespread chipping and discoloration.

Suzanne Haeri, DDS, is located at 1100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90035. To set up an appointment, call 310-647-2200 or visit Suzanne Haeri DDS and fill out a request.

 

What is a Dental Bridge?

Patients with missing or damaged teeth can count on South Carthay’s Dr. Suzanne Haeri to provide them with replacements. One of the oldest solutions in dentistry for replacing compromised teeth is the dental bridge, which is why we want our patients to understand more about it.

A dental bridge is a series of artificial crowns which are connected to each other. They are constructed in a dental laboratory based on an impression of the patient’s mouth. A pontic bridge is one which rests on two natural teeth as its base. Each tooth has been reshaped in order to support an artificial crown, and an additional artificial crown is suspended between them. Bridges are also made in the form of partial dentures, or they may be supported by implants. Although it is discouraged for patients to have healthy teeth reshaped, bridges are a popular option when there are several teeth in a row which require new crowns or are missing and need to be replaced. The teeth used to support a fixed bridge may need to undergo a root canal prior to being reshaped if they have been damaged by infection.

Suzanne Haeri, DDS, is located at 1100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90035. To set up an appointment, call 310-647-2200 or visit Suzanne Haeri DDS and fill out a request.

 

Denture Pain Can Cause Problems

Denture pain typically stems from poor fitting or poorly adjusted dentures. It may also be a result of new dentures, worn over soft tissues that have not developed thick, toughened layers of protective keratin. If you are experiencing gum and mouth irritation, problems eating and speaking, develop mouth infections, and/or dentures that move around in your mouth, give Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS a call to discuss your treatment options.

If you wear dentures, it is very important you keep your mouth clean and healthy. In addition, you should never experience pain when wearing your dentures. If you do experience pain from your dentures and this discomfort is not treated by speaking slowly, eating soft foods or using an adhesive, your dentures may need an adjustment or you may need a replacement. At the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS, we have plenty of tooth-replacement options for you to choose from if dentures aren’t working out.

If you have dentures that are causing you pain, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.

Caring for Dentures

Dr. Suzanne Haeri has provided high-quality restorations to many patients over the years, allowing them to regain their self-confidence and massively boosting their quality of life. But dentures, like most prosthodontic solutions, require life-long maintenance and may eventually have to be replaced. This guide will keep them working as long as possible.

Like natural teeth, dentures need to be brushed twice daily with a soft-bristled brush. However, dentures are much more fragile than bone and lack the ability to self-repair like living tissue. Minerals in ordinary toothpaste can scratch them, which is why it is better to brush them only with toothpaste specifically approved by the American Dental Association for use on dentures. Patients should also brush their tongues, gums, and if they have mini-implants, their exposed abutments.

Lots of useful cleaning solutions are available for dentures to soak in overnight. These can further boost cleanliness, but the most important thing is that dentures not be allowed to dry out. It is also important that the tap water or cleaning solution be room temperature or cooler, as hot water can warp their shape. Dentures may have to be refitted eventually, as the mouth naturally changes shape, but patients should never attempt to reshape dentures without a professional.

Suzanne Haeri, DDS, of Cosmetic & General Dentistry, is located at 1100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90035. To set up an appointment, call 310-647-2200 or visit SuzanneHaeriDDS.com and fill out a request.

Types of Dentures

Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS offers a wide variety of restorative options for missing teeth, but here we are going to discuss the benefits of dentures. For people who have lost their teeth due to gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, dentures can restore their smile and help them with everyday tasks such as eating and speaking. There are two main types of dentures: full and partial. Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS will help you choose the type of denture that’s best for you based on how many teeth are going to be replaced.

Complete (full) dentures are used if you’re missing teeth in your upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) jaws. Partial dentures are used on patients who only have some teeth missing on either jaw. Complete dentures replace all of the teeth, while partial dentures fill in the spaces created by missing teeth and prevent other teeth from shifting position. Your dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them, however, you will decrease your risk of periodontal disease as well as ease the stress of your jaw while wearing them.

If you have missing teeth, give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.

Full and Partial Dentures for a Smile That is Yours

When most or all of a patient’s teeth are missing, one cannot effectively chew food. It also affects speech and smiling. At our Los Angeles, CA dental practice, Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS offers attractive dentures for patients looking to replace most or all of their teeth.

When many teeth are missing, they affect the life of a patient. Certain foods are no longer able to be eaten, speech will be affected, and even the confidence to smile and laugh may be affected. Dentures are a new set of teeth that can replace a full set of teeth or just some, depending on the patient’s needs.

Partial dentures are able to be utilized when there are a few teeth left that can serve as a base for the dentures. Full dentures are placed after any remaining teeth are pulled. We are able to place the dentures immediately or we can wait until the gums heal to place the dentures. Waiting until they heal is a conventional placement and allows for a better fit. Immediate dentures will likely have to be refit in the future, but there is no time spent without teeth.

Dentures help patients regain their ability to chew, talk, and smile. If you are ready for dentures, schedule a consultation with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS in our Los Angeles, CA office. Appointments can be scheduled by calling us at (310) 657-2200 or by visiting our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com.