The Dreaded Act of Flossing

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: bad breath, floss, flossing, gum disease, plaque

Flossing. Hey, we’ve all been there. When we were kids it was bad enough that Mom and Dad made us brush our teeth, let alone floss. Sticking our fingers in our mouths, taking longer in the bathroom – from a kids’ perspective, what’s the point?

It prevents bad breath and gum disease. We can’t always see plaque, bacteria, or food particles between our teeth, and if we’re not in the habit of flossing, we can hardly feel that our teeth are still dirty – even after a good brush.

Our toothbrush bristles cannot reach hidden plaque and other decay-causing bacteria. Floss does. In fact, it cleans 33% of your total tooth surface.

Now we’re not kids anymore and we get the point. But, yet, not everyone flosses. Why is this?

Our patients find that flossing is very easy to forget about, especially if they are not used to doing it every night. Hagen understands that if you don’t floss already, it’s hard to make it a habit. So we’ve provided a few pointers that may help you start:

• Step one is getting the floss into your home
• Keep your floss next to your toothbrush – not hidden in a drawer
• Try to floss at LEAST once a day
• Floss before you brush. (Rinse with a mouthwash after)
• Use up to 18 inches of floss each time
• Don’t cheat by skipping one or two days – make it a habit and it will automatically become part of your routine!

Check out these other flossing tips by the ADHA.

If you have any questions or comments, ask on our Facebook or Twitter, or give us a call at 513.251.5500! We’re always happy to help.

Make Your Smile More Kissable Basket Contest

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: Hagen Dental, oral hygiene, Oxyfresh, teeth, Valentine's Day, Zoom teeth whitening

Last month many of you likely made New Year’s resolutions to be healthier, more productive, to move forward with your goals, and other positive promises. Hagen’s resolution was to continue to put our patients first, give back to them for being so great, show them we really care about their teeth and oral hygiene. Well, it’s February and we’re not breaking our promise!

We’ve decided to dedicate our most current contest giveaway to Valentine’s Day. So, of course, what better way to celebrate than giving one lucky patient a basket full of dentist-approved goodies to make your smile more kissable! Our “Make Your Smile More Kissable” basket includes, Oxyfresh toothpaste and mouth rinse, toothbrushes, floss, tongue cleaner, chapstick, calendar, coffee mug, chocolate, gum, and a $25.00 gift card for Zoom! Teeth Whitening.

The Zoom! Teeth Whitening gift card can be applied to a $399.00 Zoom! special we are currently running.

To enter the contest, post your name in the comment box below or visit us on Facebook
and do the same! We will draw one name on Monday, February 20, 2012 and will notify the winner via Facebook message. Good luck!

If you’d like to setup an appointment with Hagen Dental, visit the About Us page on our website or stop in our office. Or, “follow” us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook! Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Top Foods That Stain Your Teeth

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: chromogens, enamel, foods that stain teeth, Hagen Dental, stain teeth, tannins, Zoom teeth whitening

Why do teeth stain? Teeth enamel have pores just like your skin. Your teeth expand and contract with temperature change, which make more pores exposed. These pores are, in turn, what pick up stains!

It’s best to avoid foods and liquids that are intensely colored because these colors affect your teeth more so than diluted liquids and foods. Chromogens are the cause of these deep hues. They are pigmented molecules that latch onto your enamel – and therefore seep into your pores!

Examples of foods and liquids that have abundant chromogens are:

• Black coffee
• Dyed sweets
• Red wine
• Pop
• Blueberries
• Soy sauce
• Curry

Another type of food and liquid you should try to avoid (if you’re concerned about teeth staining) would be foods high in acidity or tannins. Acidic foods soften tooth enamel, which make them more susceptible to damage. Tannins elevate the chromogens ability to latch onto enamel, which advances staining of teeth.

Examples of foods and liquids that are acidic or have tannins include:

• Tea
• Pop
• Sports drinks
• Citrus fruit

Another notorious ingredient that causes bad teeth stains is nicotine! Unlike most stains, which stain teeth yellow, smoking cigarettes promotes browning. Nicotine is extremely sticky so it adheres easily to tooth enamel and sinks its way into the grooves of teeth. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Nicotine stains in particular are extremely difficult to remove by brushing alone.

Hagen offers a Zoom! Teeth Whitening treatment, which is completed in one visit and offers immediate results. Zoom! whitens teeth an average of 6–10 shades, and teeth typically become whiter during the days following the treatment. This treatment helps to remove deep and set-in stains so that your smile stays white for years! For our patients, we are currently offering Zoom! for $399.

If you’d like more information check out our services page, give us a call, or leave a comment.

Preventing the Flu Starts with Healthy Oral Habits

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: bacteria, change your toothbrush, cold, flu, Hagen Dental, microorganisms, mouth, prevention, toothbrush

In the midst of flu season, many of us will rely on vitamins and supplements, washing our hands, getting enough sleep, and hydrating to stay healthy. These are all great, but there’s another, somewhat overlooked, prevention that is as simple as keeping a clean toothbrush!

We want to help you prevent the flu and those nasty colds! On our Facebook
page we’ve asked how long you should wait to change your toothbrush. The answer: two to three months. If you’ve never been especially great at remembering to switch out your toothbrush for a new one, try using the change of seasons as a reminder. You can even put a quick note on your calendar.

We house and produce hundreds of microorganisms in our mouth that can be transferred to our toothbrush when we brush our teeth. (So that means at least twice a day, we are encountering these microorganisms!)

When you’re sick, it’s important to store your toothbrush away from others and to replace your toothbrush immediately after you are well again. Even it toothbrushes are not touching, airborne bacteria from sneezing and coughing move easily!

The best ways to ensure your brush remains clean throughout its lifespan include:

• Don’t share your toothbrush with others.
• Rinse your toothbrush with hot water and remove any excess saliva, food, or toothpaste.
• Don’t cover toothbrush head for extended period of times – it creates a moist environment where bacteria thrive.
• Always store brush in upright position.
• Keep multiple toothbrushes separate.

Remember to wash your hands before and after you brush your teeth as your hands are coming into contact with your mouth as well! (Also note, that in addition to preventing the flu and cold this season, washing your hands can also prevent oral inflammatory disease.)

Last but not least, remember to brush your tongue and to floss! You miss the equivalent of about one third of your teeth surface area when you don’t – so you’re leaving all that bacteria in there to grow and deteriorate your oral and overall heath.

If you have any questions regarding these pointers, ask on our Facebook or Twitter, or give us a call at 513.251.5500! We’re always happy to help.

How to Make Sure You Don’t Waste Your Dental Benefits This Year

Category: Uncategorized

We posted this blog at the beginning of December and decided to post it again! We hope that all of our patients were able to get the dental care they needed before their 2011 insurance benefits expired, but just in case a few of you missed the deadline, here are some pointers for 2012.

On our end, we’ll do everything we can to make sure we can maximize patient benefits. There are also some steps you can take to do the same. By following these, not only can you work to maximize your benefits, but you’ll be able to plan ahead and spend more of your time before the holidays on last minute Christmas shopping, baking, wrapping…and everything else!

1. Make sure to schedule ahead for six month check ups. We understand your schedule can change, but it’s better to have an appointment in our books than be on our waiting list!
2. Ask your dentist if a filling should be replaced in the near future, if so, this may help carve more time out for your next visit!
3. One way to avoid a root canal is to come get checked out if you think you might have a cavity.
4. The best way to use benefits to pay for a larger or more complicated appointment is to schedule major work at the end of December and beginning of January. By doing this you use both years benefit value. Keep in mind it is extremely helpful when these appointments are scheduled in advance!
5. Booking an appointment in September through early November will give you more time and more flexibility to come back in if you need more work done.

Wake Up: Eye Opening Treatments for Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: breathing, dental sleep appliances, Hagen Dental Practice, MAD, Mandibular Advancement Device, sleep, sleep apnea, snoring, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Tongue Retraining Device, TRD

Do you snore? Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep? Learn more about the sleep disorder causing breathing problems for more than 18 million people in the US.

Sleep apnea is the term given to the disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop during your sleep. In fact, people may stop breathing hundreds of times during the night – and often times they have no knowledge since they don’t fully awake! Fragmented sleeping, whether or not you wake up as a result, means low quality sleep that leaves people exhausted during the day.

Sleep apnea is actually linked with other conditions, from diabetes and hypertension, to obesity and heart disease. Some signs you may have sleep apnea are if you snore loudly, feel tired and fatigued during the day, if you’re being treated for high blood pressure, or if someone has witnessed your breathing pause during your sleep. Even though sleep disorders like sleep apnea affect so many people — including children — up to 90 percent of those who suffer from it are not diagnosed and do nothing to treat the problem.

Treatments

One solution, whether you suffer from snoring, sleep apnea, or a combination, is using a custom-fit dental sleep appliance. As recommended by The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, this is a treatment often given to those with snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea.

At Hagen Dental Practice we can construct the appropriate sleep appliance that is best for you. The Mandibular Advancement Device, also known as MAD, is comparable to an athletic mouth guard. The Tongue Retraining Device, TRD, is a splint that will hold your tongue in place while you sleep.

The goal of both devices is to keep your airways open as much as possible throughout the night. Over time, these devices are adjusted as needed by your dentist. Besides seeing an improvement in sleep in many those who wear the devices, many are also able to reduce or eliminate their snoring!

Improving Your Health

Even if snoring wasn’t a problem, one thing is certain for those who have sleep apnea: using dental sleep appliances can greatly improve your quality of sleep, and more importantly, your quality of life!

If you suffer from extremely loud snoring, or you’ve been diagnosed with health conditions that include diabetes, hypertension, or obesity, then set up an appointment with Dr. Hagen to discuss your sleep pattern and next steps in determining if you have sleep apnea. Visit the About Us page on our website or stop in our office.

For more on sleep, and how it relates to your overall health, check out these websites:

• Sleepapnea.org
• Aasmnet.org
• Sleepfoundation.org

Hagen Dental – Best Smile Contest Winner

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: Best Smile Contest, Dr. Hagen, Hagen Dental, healthy smile, teeth

Congratulations, Kristen Bailey! We asked our Hagen’s Best Smile Contest winner a few questions to better get to know her and also unfold her secrets for a healthy smile.

Neighborhood in Cincinnati: Madison Place

Career: Financial Center Manager at Fifth Third Bank

Length of time being a Hagen Patient: 6 months

Q: How did you choose Hagen?

Kristen: I did some business with Dr. Hagen at Fifth Third and was so impressed with his dental practice when I came to meet him at Hagen Dental. His wife, Jenny Hagen, provided a tour of the office and the entire staff was so personable. The practice was inviting, had state of the art equipment in each room, and was a well lit and clean environment. Although I was generally happy with my dental office, Hagen Dental appeared to offer so much more. I am very happy I made the switch and have already referred a friend.

Q: How do you typically take care of your teeth?

Kristen: I brush/floss my teeth in the morning and before going to bed. I use mouth wash occasionally. Scheduling regular dental appointments is a big piece of how I have been able to maintain good, strong, healthy teeth. I’ve only had one minor cavity in my life, which was easily fixed. I typically follow all the dentist’s instructions with the exception of extracting my wisdom teeth, which I held off until 2009 as an adult.

Q: Do you get in for your dental cleaning regularly?

Kristen: I schedule routine cleanings with the dentist every 6 months. This is an appointment that I’ve always kept since I was a child.

Q: Did your last check up give you a clean bill of health?

Kristen: Yes

What a gal! No wonder she won best smile!

If you’d like to setup an appointment with Hagen Dental, visit the About Us page on our website or stop in our office. Or, “follow” us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook! Happy Holidays!

How to Make Sure You Don’t Waste Your Dental Benefits Next Year

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: brush, cavity, check up, dental benefits, end of year, Family Dentist, filling, floss, Hagen Dental, insurance, insurance coverage, root canal

December – the last month of the year and, arguably, also the busiest when it comes to dental work! For many, you’re well aware of the reason why: insurance coverage does not roll over into the year.

On our end, we’ll do everything we can to make sure we can maximize patient benefits. There are also some steps you can take to do the same. By following these, not only can you work to maximize your benefits, but you’ll be able to spend more of your time before the holidays on last minute Christmas shopping, baking, wrapping…and everything else!

1. Make sure to schedule ahead for six month check ups. We understand your schedule can change, but it’s better to have an appointment in our books than be on our waiting list!
2. Ask your dentist if a filling should be replaced in the near future, if so, this may help carve more time out for your next visit!
3. One way to avoid a root canal is to come get checked out if you think you might have a cavity.
4. The best way to use benefits to pay for a larger or more complicated appointment is to schedule major work at the end of December and beginning of January. By doing this you use both years benefit value. Keep in mind it is extremely helpful when these appointments are scheduled in advance!
5. Booking an appointment in October or November will give you more time and more flexibility to come back in if you need more work done.

Your Chance to Win!

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: Chance to Win, Christmas, Hagen, Hagen Dental Practice, Holiday, Raffle

At Hagen, our staff has always loved the idea of giving friends and family Christmas baskets during the Holidays. So, we thought that the practice should join in with the Holiday cheer this year!

We are giving one lucky patient a Christmas basket filled with goodies, including a make-your-own snowman kit.

Sign up for your chance to win by sending your e-mail address to hagendds@Aol.com with the subject line “Hagen Christmas Raffle”!

Happy Holidays!

Question of the Week: Why Wear an Athletic Mouthguard?

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Tags: @hagendental, cerec, Cincinnati, Cincinnati dental, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentist, Dr. Lawrence Hagen, Hagen dental blog, mouth injury, mouth protection, mouthguard, pediatric dentistry, periodontist, sports, tissue damage

It’s not just hockey players, boxers, or BMX bike riders who should be wearing athletic mouthguards.

In fact, whether you’re playing sports recreationally, or competing at an elite level, dental injuries are a very common result of collision! (Picture chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage, concussions, or even breaking your jaw!) Some of these very injuries can take years to heel properly.

The good news is this: studies repeatedly show us that athletic mouthguards absorb the shock that your teeth and jaw may encounter. The American Dental Association supports the idea that the best available solution – for both contact and non-contact sport participation — is a properly fitting athletic mouthguard.

So by simply wearing an athletic mouthguard you can better avoid becoming one of the 5 million people each year who have a tooth knocked out while playing sports! Sounds like a smart idea to us!

Some tips to keep in mind:
• Under normal circumstances, you don’t want to wear a removable retainer and an athletic mouthguard at the same time;
• Ideally, check your athletic mouthguard fit at least yearly, as fit is crucial;
• Keep your athletic mouthguard clean and store it away from the heat;
• Wear your athletic mouthguard in practices and in games!

We offer customized mouthguards that can fit you right, still allow you to speak, and most importantly, allow you to breathe properly! If you’d like to setup an appointment with Hagen Dental, visit the About Us page on our website or stop in our office. Or, “follow” us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook!

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