Keeping Away Bad Breath

Fresh breath is desirable for everyone. You want fresh breath for yourself and you also want fresh breath for anyone you are close to. Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS wants patients to know that fresh breath has a lot to do with oral hygiene. Keep reading to learn tips!

Bad breath is often caused by bacteria in the mouth. This is why it is important to keep up with your oral hygiene. Plaque can form on your teeth and tongue just hours after brushing. To keep it at bay, brush three times per day and floss at least once per day.

Bacteria will thrive in dry conditions, so it is also important to stay hydrated. Get your recommended amount of water in every day. Also, keep drinks that dehydrate you to a minimum. This includes drinks with caffeine and alcohol.

In addition to bacteria, there are also some more obvious foods that can stain our breath, like garlic. For occasions where you have stinky breath from something you ate, chew on some mint leaves or lemon rinds. These not only will help freshen breath, but they include the production of saliva. This will aid in staying hydrated and washing away bacteria.

Keep these tips in mind to keep away bad breath. To schedule a cleaning and examination with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS, call our Los Angeles, CA office at (310) 657-2200 or visit our website, www.suzannehaeridds.com. 

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. 

Patient Financing: CareCredit

At the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS, we are pleased to offer our patients CareCredit, America’s leader in patient payment plans. CareCredit covers a variety of treatment options and lets you begin treatment immediately – then pay for it over time with low monthly payments that fit easily into your monthly budget.

CareCredit is the credit card exclusively used for healthcare services. With no up-front costs and no pre-payment penalties, CareCredit lets you pay-over-time and frees up cash and credit cards for other things you want or need. CareCredit offers low monthly payment plans for healthcare procedures not commonly covered by insurance, including dental treatments. Plus, you can use your card again and again, to pay for additional treatment for yourself or family members in any CareCredit practice.

With the CareCredit healthcare credit card, you can benefit from preventive dentistry financing and procedures such as 6-month checkups, endodontics, periodontics, teeth cleaning, ceramic fillings, etc. as well as restorative, and cosmetic dentistry financing procedures like lumineers, dental implants, tooth repair, dentures, and more.

To learn more about CareCredit give us a call, or 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.

When a Dental Implant Fails

Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. In fact, they are one of the most reliable long-term methods of tooth replacement. However, like any other surgical procedure, there are a variety of internal and external factors that can play a role in complications or even total failure of treatment. If this ever were to happen to you, Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS is here to assess the situation.

Osseointegration describes the formation of a direct functional and structural connection between a person’s bone and an artificial implant. There are two primary reasons for “later” implant failure after the osseointegration process has been successful. These include over-stressing implants with too much biting force or inflammatory disease of the gum tissues and/or bone around the implant. Prevention plays a tremendous role in avoiding implant failure. Once the implants are placed, it’s crucial to maintain a good oral hygiene routine. Make sure you schedule regular dental cleanings to help keep the tissues around your implants healthy.

If you have questions about dental implants, 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.

Benefits of Digital X-rays

There’s an X-ray technique that is utilized here at the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS and that is called Digital Imaging. Instead of developing film in a darkroom like most dental X-rays, these ones are sent directly to a computer and can be viewed on screen, stored, or printed out. There are several benefits to using this technology and we will discuss them here.

Within this imaging program, there are a number of tools that will allow Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS to take a very close look at the teeth and surrounding structures with amazing accuracy. The image captured, of a tooth, for example, can be enhanced and enlarged many times its actual size on the computer screen, making it easier for Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS to show you where and what the problem is. In addition, the technique also uses less radiation than the typical X-ray (about 80% less) and there is no wait time for the X-rays to develop – the images are available on a screen a few seconds after being taken.

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.

Invest In a Tongue Cleaner

Bad breath can have a negative impact on a person’s life, relationships, and self-esteem. It can also be an underlying cause for more serious oral health issues, such as gum disease. Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS recommends scheduling professional cleanings and oral exams twice a year as a preventive measure against serious gum conditions, however, in addition to using a toothbrush to clean your teeth, you can improve your mouth’s freshness by using a tongue cleaner.

Do yourself a favor and step in front of a mirror. Do you spot a coated tongue? If you do, tongue scraping may be helpful. Tongue scrapers, which are available in most drugstores in various shapes and sizes, have been deemed a way to reduce or eliminate bad breath. To use it, all you need to do is place the tongue scraper at the back of your tongue and gently bring it forward along your tongue, repeating as often as needed. Although there’s no harm in trying a tongue scraper to treat bad breath, you should remember that it’s just as important to practice good dental hygiene overall. Brush your teeth and tongue at least twice a day, floss in between your teeth at least once a day, and rinse or gargle with mouthwash to help keep your breath fresh.

If you are due for a dental checkup, 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.

Causes and Treatment of Sensitive Teeth

Exposed areas of the tooth can cause pain and even affect or change your eating, drinking, and breathing habits if the pain becomes too severe. For example, in frigid weather, the cold air could send a shooting pain through the nerve of your tooth. An excessive consumption of acid-containing foods and beverages, such as citrus juices and fruits also put you at risk for tooth sensitivity. If these examples make you think, “Hey, that’s me!” Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS can help.

Tooth sensitivity is caused by the movement of fluid within tiny tubes located in the dentin (the layer of tissue found beneath the hard enamel that contains the inner pulp), which results in nerve irritation. When the hard enamel is worn down or gums have receded, causing the tiny tube surfaces to be exposed, pain can be caused by eating or drinking foods or hot or cold beverages. If a tooth is highly sensitive for more than three or four days, it’s best to get a diagnostic evaluation from Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS to determine the extent of the problem and discuss treatment options.

If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, 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.