Intraoral Camera

At the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS we utilize the most recent tools in dental technology. During your routine exams, Dr. Haeri will need to inspect what goes on inside your mouth. To do this, she will use an intraoral camera. An intraoral camera allows Dr. Haeri to show you firsthand what condition your teeth are in as well as the status of your periodontal health.

The intraoral camera resembles an oversized pen and is used in tandem with a computer. It allows Dr. Haeri to look inside a patient’s mouth and capture images that can be taken from a variety of angles. Through the computer, Dr. Haeri can physically show you, if you have a fractured tooth, or if you need periodontal treatment. Unlike conventional X-rays that require processing time, there is no development time associated with an intraoral camera. It provides images that are immediate, saving you time in the dental chair.

If you have questions or concerns regarding our dental technology, 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 Dental Sedation

Thirty percent of our population avoids visiting the dentist due to fear. Dental fear compromises oral health because a lack of routine care can deteriorate the function of the mouth and smile. Fortunately, at the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS we utilize safe and effective dental sedation methods to help patients combat dental anxiety and/or assist in taking the edge off during a procedure.

To determine which type of dental sedation method is right for you, Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS will need to see you for a consultation. Whether you decide on nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, or IV sedation, you will experience the benefits of sedation dentistry. One of the major benefits of using sedatives in the dental chair is that patients will often feel as if their dental procedure lasted a few minutes rather than several hours. Additionally, it will put the patient at ease and make it easier for Dr. Haeri to perform the procedure. If you are reluctant to improve your smile because of dental anxiety, we guarantee to make you as comfortable as possible and encourage you to discuss your fears with us.

If you have questions or concerns regarding sedation dentistry, 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.

Childhood Halitosis

 

When children develop chronically bad breath, Dr. Suzanne Haeri and her office staff are here to help. As with adults, halitosis in children is usually due to a hygiene problem, but there are some special considerations to keep in mind.

Wherever food debris can accumulate, bacteria will grow excessively, and excessive bacterial growth is the main cause of bad breath. The tongue is one such location, the tonsils are another. Nasal drip is also food for bacteria, and children tend to get more sinus infections. Young children may also have foreign objects caught in their noses, which triggers nasal drip. Children with dry mouth are at particular risk because they lack saliva to wash food debris away. Dry mouth is commonly caused by mouth breathing and by medications, including some for ADHD.

Although the underlying cause of dry mouth will need to be solved, dentists often help patients find ways to stimulate saliva production. Sugar-free hard candy and gum are some of the most child-friendly methods. It is also possible that a child’s bad breath could be caused by bacteria from a cold sore or from a more serious medical condition, such as diabetes, which is why it is worth consulting with a doctor.

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 SuzanneHaeriDDS.com and fill out a request.

 

Diode Laser Treatment for Gums

Dr. Suzanne Haeri has seen great results at her practice from laser technology.  This advancement in the technology available to dentists has been especially successful in periodontal treatments.  Patients experiencing every stage of gum disease can see improvement from laser treatment.  The diode laser is so effective in periodontal treatments because it can target unhealthy gum tissue and leave healthy tissue undisturbed. The precision that can be achieved with a laser results in less trauma to the mouth and less recovery time.

In the past, periodontal treatment was completed using more aggressive tools and often required stitches. With a diode laser, treating only the affected gum tissue and not damaging any healthy gums is more efficient and causes little to no bleeding, which means less swelling after the procedure.  Patients often find the laser procedure relatively painless, so less and sometimes no anesthetic is needed.  Please contact us to improve your oral health with a laser treatment for your gums!

Suzanne Haeri, DDS, of Cosmetic & General Dentistry, is located at 1100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90035.  To learn more about diode laser treatment, visit SuzanneHaeriDDS.com for more information.  To set up an appointment, call 310-647-2200.

Receding Gums

People commonly seek help from cosmetic dentists for receding gums. Exposed tooth roots not only look unattractive to most people, they also are very sensitive. But people may not have known that receded gums are usually the result of periodontal disease. If Dr. Haeri determines that is the case, there are some interventions she may recommend which vary in intensity depending on the severity of the gum loss.

Teeth are surrounded by gum pockets which are supposed to secure them snugly. But there is always room for some bacteria and plaque in the space between the gum and the tooth root, and if healthy tissues are being eroded by acid, that space will only get larger. More plaque-causing bacteria fill the void, accelerating the decay process.

At a normal deep cleaning, Dr. Haeri or a hygienist will remove the bacteria colonies, but the problem remains of what to do with the enlarged pocket and exposed roots. Sometimes a simple incision can be made into healthy gum tissue, which is then folded and sutured to cover the roots. This can be done under local anesthetic. Serious cases might require the consultation of a specialist in gum grafts. There is no shortage of strategies for fixing receded gums, but patients should maintain regular oral hygiene to improve their chances of avoiding the trouble.

The practice of 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 SuzanneHaeriDDS.com and fill out a request.

 

 

Warning Signs of a Failing Implant

Implants have become one of the most popular and effective means of tooth restoration since they started becoming common thirty years ago. However, they can fail. To spare themselves unnecessary pain and possibly save an imperiled implant, patients should know the warning signs when an implant is failing to integrate or is at risk.

Sometimes problems will immediately become evident if a patient is allergic to the metals most implants are made from or if the implant is placed into a nerve. This will result in severe pain which will not get better and may be accompanied by persistent bleeding. If a surgical wound fails to heal after a few days, patients should seek help.

A complete implant may also fail due to periodontal disease or a traumatic injury. The most obvious sign that an implant needs to be examined is if it moves. Damage to the jaw bone can shake an implant loose, and gum disease can spread to corrode the implant itself. Dentists will use x-rays to monitor a patient’s jaw bone tissue for the years following placement of an implant. Loss of two much bone requires intervention.

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.

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.