National Facial Protection Month

The beginning of April marks National Facial Protection Month. As a general and cosmetic dental office, we at Dr. Suzanne Haeri’s South Carthay practice have fixed a lot of chipped and broken teeth. Although we provide naturally-colored, long-lasting restorations, we prefer that our patients maintain good oral health. Wearing mouth guards during sports is one of the most important aspects of that.

Sports leagues generally require youth participants to wear a mouthguard. (That includes wrestlers if they have braces.) Any type of mouthguard is better than none, but the best are custom-fitted. Other options include boil-and-bite models that are softened at home before being fitted to a wearer’s teeth. Keep in mind, however, that children’s teeth are changing rapidly, and a mouthguard from the beginning of the academic year may need to be refitted. This is particularly true of patients undergoing orthodontic therapy, whose teeth change positions significantly each month.

Mouthguard manufacturers will provide information on how to clean their products, but in general, they should be kept dry and out of the sun. Wearing a mouthguard is not only important during contact sports, but also during activities when a person is likely to fall, such as skating, cycling, or gymnastics. When properly fitted, a mouthguard should be comfortable and easy to breathe with. Feel free to ask us for guidance if you’ve been having trouble with yours.

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.

 

Bite Checks

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a grave threat to a patient’s tooth structure as well as their comfort. At the South Carthay dental office of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, we inspect patients for signs of this condition during each biannual check-up. A bite check is also an opportunity to detect other chewing problems and is particularly beneficial to children.

TMD can occur when people clench their jaws or grind their teeth in their sleep. (The latter behavior is known as bruxism.) The force of their bite can cause pain that radiates to the tops of their heads and down through their necks. Particularly severe TMD can cause teeth to crack or tilt out of place. More commonly, they become eroded, resulting in a loss of vertical mouth dimension. The sensitivity from TMD makes chewing more difficult and some patients have difficulty opening their mouths.

Our hygienists are trained to look for the distinctive pattern bruxism leaves in enamel. They will also ask patients to demonstrate closing their teeth together and will ask patients about any discomfort they’ve experienced recently. Patients may not be aware they have bruxism, but they may know if they are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea or are under a lot of mental stress, both of which are contributing factors. In adults, bruxism can be countered with a custom-fitted night guard, which will protect the enamel from further erosion and relieve pressure on the jaws. Patients may also be recommended for orthodontic therapy if bruxism has pushed their teeth out of place or misalignment is contributing to their jaws’ mechanical stress.

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.

Dental Phobia

At Dr. Suzanne Haeri's west Los Angeles dental office, we know it can be an overwhelming experience going to the dentist. We want our patients to feel relaxed and comfortable when you’re in the dentist chair. An estimated 9% to 15% of people avoid the dentist due to dental phobia. It is important to get your teeth cleaned twice a year to maintain good dental hygiene. Patients who suffer from dental phobia have a greater chance of developing gum disease and tooth decay.

To ease our patient’s minds, our staff will discuss any concerns or fears you have and solutions. We will do our best to make your experience as relaxing as possible. Some signs that you might have dental phobia include tense or nervousness, sleepless nights before the dentist, and the thought of the dentist makes you feel sick.

We encourage our patients to ask us questions before your appointment so we can make you feel more comfortable. Your concerns are our number one priority and we are happy to discuss what can help to ease your fears.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding cosmetic or restorative dentistry, please give us a call. To learn more 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, please call 310-657-2200.

Children's Oral Care

At the South Carthay office of Suzanne Haeri, DDS we advise parents to start cleaning their children’s teeth as soon as their baby teeth develop. Tooth decay is the most chronic disease for children is tooth decay which is preventable through practicing good oral health care.

When your children’s baby teeth develop, you should clean their teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a dab of toothpaste. We recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes for children because they are gentler on your gums and teeth.

Tooth decay occurs when plaque and bacteria form on your teeth and form cavities. Tooth decay is preventable when you brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. When possible, we encourage all of our patients to eat a healthy diet and limiting your consumption of sugar and acidic that can damage your teeth.

Don’t forget to bring your children twice a year for cleaning with us. We want your children to practice good oral hygiene so they have the best smile.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding cosmetic or restorative dentistry, please give us a call. To learn more 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, please call 310-657-2200.

Avoid Drinking Soda

At the South Carthay office of Suzanne Haeri, DDS we encourage our patients to drink more water and less soda. Soda is damaging to your oral health because bacteria in your mouth feed off of sugar and create acid.  Once the acid is created, it dissolves your tooth enamel and leads to decay.

When possible, we want our patients to drink soda with a straw to limit the amount of sugar that is resting on their teeth. Every time you drink soda, acid eats away at your tooth enamel for about 20 minutes. If possible, brush your teeth after drinking soda, and if you are unable to, rinse your mouth out with water to wash away the acid.

Regardless of how much soda you drink, we want all of our patients to brush twice a day to fight tooth decay. The best way to prevent tooth decay is by drinking only water and practicing good oral hygiene.

If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. To learn more 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, please call 310-657-2200.

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.

 

How to Clean a Night Guard

A night guard or snore guard can be a great boon to a person’s dental health. When people suffer from bruxism (nighttime teeth grinding) or obstructive sleep apnea, these removable oral appliances prevent their teeth from rubbing together and keep their airways open. But they can become traps for bacteria if not cleaned properly, and we at Dr. Suzanne Haeri’s South Carthay dental office want to ensure our patients are maintaining their oral hygiene.

When a patient wakes up in the morning, they should remove their oral appliance and brush it. Night guard manufacturers often have instructions on their websites telling patients to clean their appliances with dissolvable tablets or soaking solutions. Those products may work well and can prevent a night guard from acquiring a bad smell, but brushing the appliance is still necessary to remove build-up and some people use retainers that double as night guards. Patients should clean with a soft-bristled toothbrush, but not toothpaste or the minerals may scratch the soft plastic.

Depending on their model, night guards vary in whether they should be kept wet or dry. But the case they are kept in should also be cleaned with antibacterial soap every day. Patients will also need to avoid using hot water or leaving the case in the sun or anywhere else it could get hot enough to distort the night guard’s shape. People should always brush and floss their teeth before using a night guard and should periodically have it professionally refitted.

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.