Are you a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

These days you do not have to resort to fixed bridges or dentures if you want to replace a missing tooth or teeth. Thanks to the wonders of modern dentistry, you can have natural looking teeth with dental implants.

Just as strong as your natural teeth, dental implants are a wonderful alternative to dentures and fixed bridges.

Dentures can be uncomfortable while dental bridges require some removal of your tooth’s structure in order to make the bridge. Talk to your dentist who can determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants.

Dental implants have become increasingly popular, and are actually more affordable than you think, especially if you factor in the replacement cost of new dentures every ten years or so. Dental implants are the best long-term option when it comes to restoring your natural toothy grin.

Although dental implants are not new, with ancient civilizations using seashells, wood and precious metals to replace missing teeth, things have certainly changed. These days you do not have to resort to animal or human teeth to fill the gap from a missing tooth.  

Dental implants are surgically placed in or on top of the jawbone using titanium or other types of materials to secure a synthetic artificial tooth. Once the posts, blades, or screws are surgically place in either the lower or the upper jaw they become a sturdy anchor for your new natural looking replacement teeth.

Not everyone is a good candidate when it comes to dental implants. You must be in good health and be free from gum disease. If you have suffered from periodontal disease in the past, your gums may not be strong enough to support the dental implant posts.

According to Web MD, other reasons that you may not be suitable for dental implants include chronic illnesses such as Leukemia and diabetes, which could interfere with the dental implant healing process.

If you smoke or use other tobacco products, your dentist recommends that you kick the habit before you have dental implant surgery as it could slow healing.

For more information regarding dental implants, schedule an appointment with your dentist who can determine if you are a good candidate. Call today. 

Create the Smile of your Dreams

With the holidays come lots of party invitations, and if you would rather crawl in a hole than attend your work Christmas party or the annual Thanksgiving Day meal at your sister’s house because of your smile, schedule an appointment with your dentist.

According to the American Dental Association, a healthy smile can help increase your self-esteem and boost your confidence.

When you schedule an appointment with your dentist for a smile makeover, your teeth and gums will be checked to make sure that everything is as it should be. If you do have gum issues or cavities to deal with, your dentist will fill your teeth or schedule you for a scaling and planing procedure, or refer you to a periodontist before recommending any cosmetic dental procedures.

Your dentist offers several restorative dental procedures that can improve your smile and your outlook on life. Tooth Whitening, Dental Implants, Porcelain Veneers, Porcelain Crowns, or Porcelain Fixed Bridges may be recommended. If you have always been ashamed of your crooked teeth, your dentist can find out if you are a suitable candidate for invisible braces made by Invisalign.

If you are dealing with a gummy smile, talk to your dentist about dental lasers. The tissue laser used can easily recontour gumline or gum problems. This eliminates the need for scalpels, sutures, and return visits. Because the laser is much less invasive, it is gentler. This results in less postoperative discomfort.

One of the most amazing cosmetic dental procedures is only offered by a few dentists in Fountain Valley. Dr. Peter Hagen can give you a brand new smile in as little as one appointment using computerized dentistry and an amazing restorative technique known as CEREC.

This innovative technology available in Orange County can restore your smile back to its natural beauty and strength in as little as one dental appointment. With CEREC you can have your old fillings replaced, that chip in your tooth repaired or that gap filled between your front teeth.

Stop avoiding parties, social events and people, and schedule an appointment with your dentist in Orange County who can help you create the smile of your dreams. Call now. 

Zap That Gummy Smile Once and For All

If you can’t even look at yourself in the mirror because of your gummy smile, it is time to schedule an appointment with your dentist, Dr. Peter Hagen. These days you do not have to resort to painful surgical techniques to recontour your gumline thanks to dental lasers.

Schedule a no obligation consultation with your Fountain Valley Dentist if you want to clean up your gumline.

The, “Gummy Smile,” is characterized by extra gum tissue that sits along your teeth. That extra gum tissue makes your teeth look short and out of proportion with the rest of your mouth. A gummy smile can affect your entire appearance causing self-consciousness and a fear of smiling.

Thankfully, a good dentist has the advanced techniques needed to reshape your gums using dental laser surgery that will reshape and recontour your gums giving you the confidence to flash those pearly whites in public.

Your Orange County Dentist is certified and has the expertise to correct your gummy smile with dental lasers. The tissue laser used by Dr. Hagen or one of his associates recontours your gums without the use of scalpels or stitches. This amazing less invasive treatment is gentle resulting in very little postoperative pain.

Your experienced laser OC Dentist has the ability to transform your smile in as little as one visit, trimming the gums with laser technology. Because you usually only require one session there is less chance of infection and excessive bleeding.

During your laser gum lift procedure, your Fountain Valley Dentist will evaluate your teeth and gums in order to create a unique treatment plan for your particular case. If you are a good candidate for this type of procedure, your Dr. Hagen will use his state of the art laser gently guiding it along your gum line trimming away the excess tissue while reshaping your gums.

If you are tired of the way your smile looks, schedule a no obligation consultation with your OC Cosmetic Dentist. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to walk out of the dentist chair in an hour or less with a brand new smile?

Cross off Your New Years Resolution List with a Check Up in Fountain Valley

Your Fountain Valley Dentist Dr. Peter Hagen and his staff are just as guilty as you are of over-indulging during the holidays. Tighter fitting skirts and jeans that will not zip are just a couple signs that you may have had too much Christmas cheer. You may think that your New Year’s resolutions, which include weight loss and exercise, are complete, but if you are really trying to take a positive approach to your mind, body and spirit connection in 2014 you need to include oral health on your New Year’s resolution list as well.

  

Tooth decay can happen, even if you brush twice and floss once a day. Eating and drinking too much over the holidays has probably done some damage to your teeth and gums as well. The only way to be sure is to sit down with your OC Dentist for a complete check-up.

Dr. Hagen with examine your teeth and look for any signs of tooth decay. If cavities are present, your Dentist in Orange County will take care of the damage and look for any other restorations that need to be dealt with. Dr. Hagen may even recommend Cosmetic Dentistry treatments to improve your smile.

The best way to start the New Year is with a healthy grin. After your check-up, you and Dr. Hagen can discuss the next step towards a healthier smile, whether that means whitening, filling replacements, crowns, bridges, veneers or implants.

It’s January 1^st and that means the start of a new year. Pick up the phone or go online and make an appointment with your Dentist in Fountain Valley today for General Dentistry or Cosmetic Dental Procedures. 

How to Brush your Teeth

Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is important. The American Dental Association and your Dentist in Fountain Valley recommends brushing twice a day for at least two minutes with fluoride toothpaste to help prevent cavities and gum disease. Periodontal disease is the number one reason people lose their teeth. Recent studies also indicate that advanced gum disease to could to strokes and heart attacks.

Most people believe that a hard bristled toothbrush is better for teeth, but Hagen Dental will tell you that isn’t the case. Hard bristled toothbrushes can actually hurt your gums. Use a soft bristled tooth, which is much gentler. Make sure that your toothbrush is comfortable when holding and that the head is small enough to reach all of your teeth.

Before you begin, brushing wet your toothbrush first. Squeeze a small amount of fluoride toothpaste, about the size of a pea, onto your toothbrush. Putting too much tooth gel or paste on your toothbrush will cause it to over suds, which could tempt you to finish too soon.

Your Dentist in the OC recommends that you set the bristles on your toothbrush just at your gum line or a 45-degree angle. Instead of brushing across your teeth, brush in a circular motion.

According to your Fountain Valley Dentist, it is important that you spend about 15 seconds in each spot and brush two or three teeth at a time while working around your mouth making sure that you brush every tooth. It may help to divide your brushing into quadrants. Bottom right, bottom left, top right and top left. By dividing into quadrants, you will be able brush for 30 seconds on each quadrant getting your two minutes worth of brushing time.

Make sure that you brush your molars by positioning your toothbrush so that your bristles rest on the top of your molars on the bottom. Work in and out and move from the back to the front. Repeat on the opposite side. Once you have cleaned your bottom molars flip over your toothbrush and repeat on the top.

Dr. Hagen cannot stress enough how important it is to brush the insides of your teeth, as it is the most commonly skipped. Tip your toothbrush with the head pointed towards the gum line brushing each tooth on both your upper and lower teeth.

After you have finished brushing your teeth, use your toothbrush to brush your tongue being careful not to damage your tissue by brushing too hard. Brushing your tongue helps with bad breath.

Rinsing after you brush is optional as is mouthwash as there are conflicting debates. Some studies show rinsing has no impact on fluoride toothpaste, while others say it reduces the fluoride treatment of the toothpaste.

By following these simple instructions twice a day, flossing once a day and seeing your Orange County Dentist on a regular basis, you can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.