Hagen Dental Practice: Featured Services
Thursday, June 14th, 2018Take a look at a few of featured services below.
Take a look at a few of featured services below.
Life can get busy. And as the minutes and days and activities and events pass by, bad habits can start to form as we fall into our routines – sometimes before we are even aware of them. Let’s dive into some of the most common tooth-related negative habits, so you can avoid these pitfalls and keep your teeth strong and healthy.
Chewing Ice
Chewing on ice weakens the enamel and surface areas of your teeth. Because ice is so hard, chewing on it repeatedly leads to uneven wear and tear, and long term will cause permanent chips and cracks in the teeth, which will damage the underlying tooth structure. Eventually, the cracks become large enough that you will require a trip to the dentist for repair. Ice isn’t the only culprit for this type of damage!
Habitually chewing on other hard items like pens, pencils, bobby pins, or paperclips can cause the same damage. If you need to break this habit, try keeping these items out of reach, substitute your chewing urge for sugarless gum, or avoid putting ice in your drinks while you learn to resist the urge (1, 2).
Using Your Teeth As ‘Tools’
Are you in the habit of using your teeth to crack open bottle caps, rip off clothing tags, hold heavy objects, or even as a replacement for scissors when trying to open those tough plastic bags? These and similar actions put traumatic pressure on the bones in the mouth, increasing your likelihood for weakened teeth, chips and cracks in the bone. Try to remember that teeth are there for eating (and smiling!); they are not meant to be used as a substitute for knives, scissors and hands (1,2).
Skipping Your Nighttime Brushing
Late nights out, bedtime snacks, or falling asleep in front of the television can all lead to one bad habit: skipping or forgetting your night time brushing routine. All the sugars and particles from the food and beverages you had since your last brushing session will be left to wreak havoc on your gums and enamel all night long. If you are guilty of this habit, try starting your bedtime rituals a little bit earlier – before you get too sleepy. Once you have brushed, don’t eat or drink anything else except water.
Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks, especially soda, bathe your teeth in an acidic and sugary environment. This dangerous combination creates the perfect environment for erosion, bacteria growth and decay. Sodas aren’t the only culprit, however. Fruit juices, sports drinks, and alcoholic beverages, especially mixed drinks, can contain surprising amounts of sugar and acids as well. Cut back your sugary drinks to a minimal number – or avoid them all together – and when you do indulge, drink through a straw and rinse your mouth with plain water in between drinks until you can get home and brush (1,2).
Playing Sports Without A Mouth Guard
According to the American Dental Association, an estimated 5 million teeth are knocked out every year during sports activities and competitions. Mouth guards successfully prevent approximately 200,000 sports-related mouth injuries each year. How many more could be prevented if participants were more diligent about wearing mouth guards? Rough play during high impact sports can occur at any time. Mouth guards are recommended for the following sports: basketball, football, lacrosse, water polo, hockey, softball, skateboarding, rugby, mixed martial arts and soccer. The guard helps cushion rapid or hard blows to the teeth and jaw, lessening your risk for soft tissue injury or tooth loss (2).
Smoking
If you still smoke or chew tobacco, here’s another petition for you to find a way to quit. Nicotine yellows your teeth and can contribute to or cause oral cancers. Tobacco products also dry out your mouth and increase the amount of plaque buildup around your teeth. Smokers have a higher risk of gum disease and tooth loss because of these changes in the conditions of the oral cavity. If you have questions about quitting, discuss them with Dr. Hagen at your next appointment (1,2).
Need help or advice on how to kick any of these habits, or ensure you don’t have damage already? Call us at (513) 251-5500 to learn more about your dental needs and how to develop positive oral habits!
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Imagine living in a time when modern conveniences, inventions, hygiene and healthcare were not just luxuries; they were non-existent. Sure, the simplicity of our ancestors’ lifestyle may have had some benefits. But we should all be thankful for modern dentistry, and the convenience of items like toothbrushes, floss and mouthwash. Not to mention the training of dental professionals.
Over the course of humankind, people have been testing and trying things they had access to in an attempt to keep their mouths and teeth clean. Twigs and sticks, powdered concoctions from eggshells and ox hooves, pig’s neck bristles, salt, chalk, and rough cloths make the list of historical dental instruments and tools that people tried and used in an attempt to keep their teeth free of debris (1).
Recently, researchers have discovered clues that tell us how cavemen cleaned their teeth. Karen Harder, a researcher, took a deeper look at calcified plaque from some of the oldest human remains in Europe. How was she able to analyze plaque from thousands of years ago?
As she explained: “The dental plaque is a film that covers your teeth and that’s why you have to brush your teeth every day. If not, it hardens and becomes calcified. Within about 10 days, it’s attached onto your tooth as this extremely hard material that you can’t get off unless you go to the dentist.” Since the caveman had no dentist to speak of, Harder was able to chisel off and analyze this material for further insight into the caveman’s lifestyle.
This analysis of the calcified dental plaque gave insight into the diet and environment of this archaeological specimen. She was able to determine that people in his era ate grasses, seeds, plants and meat. All of these items were eaten raw (2,3).
Grooves between the teeth, combined with indigestible wood fibers she found between the teeth, suggest rudimentary toothpicks that were jammed into the teeth to clean between them as a type of oral hygiene activity (2,3).
The evidence Harder found showed the caveman’s diet included mostly starchy plants and meat consumption. Their teeth were actually in pretty great shape despite not having access to today’s toothbrushes, toothpastes and floss.
This is because the processed, sugary and carbohydrate-laden foods and drinks that are so abundant in our society today were not present in his surroundings. This means the cavemen were not as predisposed to things like sugar and acid-related tooth decay, bacteria growth or inflammation, as we are with today’s typical diet (3).
Our teeth are whiter and straighter than our ancestors’ teeth were, but we are still more likely to develop cavities because of the sugars, processed carbohydrates and dietary and lifestyle differences. This means we can’t rely on toothpicks (or sticks) to keep our teeth clean. We must stay diligent with good oral hygiene practices and habits. Thankfully, our dental health practices have progressed into the 21st century, giving us access to skilled dental care and tools and resources for fresh breath and healthy mouths, without having to rummage for and rely on twigs or homemade toothpastes.
Are your oral hygiene habits backsliding into those of a caveman? Give Hagen Dental a call at (513) 251-5500 and we will help you achieve a healthy smile!
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Good dental health prevention helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and other oral diseases, dysfunctions and issues. What does this mean for you? Fresher breath, a healthy and comfortable mouth, less trips to the dentist for surgeries, and less money spent!
Here are the top seven ways you can make preventive dentistry part of your normal routine:
This is up there as one of the most important preventive habits. Brush your teeth and tongue twice daily to remove bacteria, germs and food particles from your mouth, and freshen up your breath (1).
The WAY you brush is as important as how OFTEN you brush. Take your time, gently brushing in a circular motion to remove plaque and debris. Cross friction and brushing too hard can lead to gum erosion. Brushing too hurriedly can mean missing spots or removal of debris (2).
Flossing cleans out the tight spaces between the teeth, stimulates the gums, reduces plaque, and lowers inflammation in the area. This is just as important as brushing! Want to make sure you’re flossing the correct way? Ask us at your next dental appointment to ensure you’re getting the full flossing benefit.
Mouthwash helps in several ways: It reduces the acidity of the mouth, cleans harder-to-brush areas in and around the gums and base of teeth, and helps to re-mineralize the teeth.
You should see us at least twice per year for your oral exam and cleanings. Dental cleanings allow our dental professionals to clean your teeth more effectively than what you can accomplish at home. At least one of those visits should include an exam to check for early signs of problems in your teeth or gums.
The examination takes a deeper look at the health of your oral cavity: x-rays to detect early issues or changes, oral cancer screenings of the surrounding tissues, and comparative checkups to ensure continued oral health. Early detection of disease or dental issues is critical to keeping problems to a minimum.
Just like the rest of your body, your teeth need proper nutritional building blocks and vitamins to stay healthy. Limiting your sugars, simple carbohydrates, acidic foods and acidic beverages are important choices to help lower your risk of infections and tooth wear (1,2).
It is very important to stay hydrated for overall health, and oral health is no exception. Drink plenty of water throughout your day. This can help neutralize negative effects of various sticky or acidic foods and beverages (1,2).
Preventive dentistry habits save you time, money and toothache (literally) by helping you avoid or lessening the effects of cavities, gingivitis, tooth decay and enamel loss, and periodontitis. Prevention is more fun – and much less costly – than tooth extractions, cavity fillings and root canals. The most effective way to ensure optimal dental health is to defend against and stop disease before it even starts. Now that is something to smile about!
Are you ready to give yourself the gift of better dental health this holiday season? Call us at (513) 251-5500 to learn more about your preventive dental needs!
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We celebrate World Smile Day in October. World Smile Day is a day designed to help people smile more by performing random acts of kindness and goodwill. Here are 10 reminders of why we should be smiling:
Keep that Smile Bright: Call Hagen Dental Practice Today
Have any questions you want to know the answer to? We’d love to answer any of the questions you have! Schedule your next visit with Hagen Dental by calling us at (513) 251-5500.
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You hear a variety of things all the time about your oral health – from friends, your family, the media, from advertisements, and more…so how do you know what to believe and what to ignore? Finally, here are answers to your questions! In this post, we separate fact from fiction and drill down on those dental myths.
Ramping up your brushing and flossing a few days before you visit the dentist doesn’t mean you can “undo” the months where your oral hygiene habits were lacking! In fact, adding in extra oral hygiene after letting it go for a while has the potential to actually inflame your gums, making them swollen, red and more likely to bleed.
Your dentist will know your secret! There’s nothing that can substitute for regular care in between your dental visits. (1).
It turns out, the opposite is true: you don’t want to stop brushing or flossing if you notice your gum is bleeding or irritated! Plaque build-up and food debris on the teeth are the culprits behind gum bleeding. Regular brushing and flossing is the best way to remove plaque build-up and food from the mouth. If the plaque build-up is too severe, getting a dental cleaning is the best choice to get the problem under control (1, 2). If your gum is bleeding abnormally or doesn’t stop, you want to let us know, too.
More is not better in this case—especially if you tend to brush too hard. Over-brushing your teeth can wear the enamel down due to the abrasive properties of your toothpaste. Rinsing your mouth out after eating is a safe alternative to extra brushing sessions. Using a soft bristled brush also helps avoid problems from those prone to brushing too hard (1, 2).
We now recommend bringing in your toddler at around 18 months. This is typically about the time when some, but not all, of their baby teeth are in. The checkup will also allow you to ask questions and get any advice on how you can continue to promote a healthy dental routine for your baby—for life!
Very false! During pregnancy, blood flow, hormones, and often a woman’s diet will change. This can cause an increase in bacteria in your mouth, which leads to an increased likelihood for dental issues such as gingivitis, bleeding gums, or development of cavities over the course of the pregnancy.
Be sure to keep that dental check-up during pregnancy! X-rays will likely be avoided, unless absolutely necessary, but many dental procedures, including cleanings are completely safe for pregnant women and can help prevent inflammation. It’s also very important to maintain good oral health to avoid adverse effects on your developing baby (1, 5).
Just because you can’t see a problem, doesn’t mean you should skip your regular dental checkup. Your dental cleanings and exams each year help ensure your teeth STAY healthy! It’s also important to find any dental problems early so they don’t become serious (2). Don’t forget that your dentist visit also includes oral cancer screenings, too.
New technology has made teeth whitening much safer! (Zoom! Whitening, anyone?) You can stick with professional whitening for the safest options, and ask us any questions you have about the process (2)!
False! Losing a baby tooth to tooth decay is not insignificant. This can result in damage to the developing crowns of the permanent teeth just below the baby tooth. It could also mean the child is not developing proper dietary and dental health habits to promote healthy teeth down the line (3).
Sometimes you’ll know when you have a cavity or an issue of some kind…but many times you won’t! And by the time you can feel the discomfort of a cavity, it has probably spread to a larger area than it would have if it had been caught at a regular dental cleaning and examination (4).
Have More Questions About Your Dental Health? We Can’t Wait to Meet You & Your Family
Have any questions you want to know the answer to? We’d love to answer any of the questions you have! Schedule your next visit with Hagen Dental by calling us at (513) 251-5500.
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Did you know? Your tooth enamel health is directly related to what you are eating, including those beverages you are drinking!
Your enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth. In fact, it’s the hardest substance in the human body—and for good reason! This surface layer helps protect the sensitive inner parts of the tooth from decay and damage. However, even enamel is subject to harm if not treated well. It is normal for some wear and tear to occur, but by focusing on what you are feeding your body (and thus putting into your mouth) you can keep that outer barrier of your teeth stronger (5).
Here are some foods to avoid or minimize for optimum enamel health:
Sugary Foods: Increased sugars feed bacteria in your mouth. Left unchecked, these bacteria produce acidic byproducts, which can soften and slowly wear away at your enamel. Candy, especially sour candies, which are sugar-filled and acidic, are the least friendly combo for your teeth! But sugar doesn’t just hide in candy…Check your food labels on condiments, cereals, and other desserts and snacks for high amounts of added sugar (1, 2).
Sugary Beverages: Just like sugary foods, beverages can be a sneaky source of sugar and acid, ready to harm your enamel! Soda is especially bad, because not only is it sugary, it has additional acidic components. Coffee is high in acidity, and people often load it with syrups or sugars, too! Just imagine what happens if a highly acidic, sugary drink sits on your enamel for hours on end. Try cutting back on that cup of joe, or leaving out the sweetener. Frequent use of sports drinks in recent years, especially in children, has also been shown to harm enamel since the sugar sits on their teeth during activity, in many cases. Even fruit juices should be taken in moderation, because they are high in simple sugars and acid as well (1, 2, 6).
Foods that give you heartburn: Severe heartburn means stomach acid is moving up the esophagus. Those stomach acids that escape the stomach can reach your mouth and erode the enamel as well. So if you have certain foods that trigger heartburn, avoid them (1).
Ice: Simply put, ice is for chilling, not chewing! But isn’t water good for you? Yes! And ice is fine in your beverages – but avoid chewing on it! Chewing on hard substances such as ice can damage the enamel. The same is true for very hard candies that you crunch on (3, 6).
Citrus Fruit: Fruits are an excellent choice for incorporating more vitamins into your diet, especially the citrus variety. But heed this warning: frequent exposure to acidic foods, such as citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, limes and lemons, can erode your enamel over time. Your best bet? Eat these foods as part of a meal, rather than by themselves (3, 6).
Sticky Foods: Sticky foods, such as sticky candies, taffy, caramels, or even dried fruit such as raisins, can leave residue in your teeth, which means the sugar will sit on the enamel, leaving a food source for bacteria, which will in turn release enamel-damaging acid (2, 3, 6). Limit your intake of these foods to avoid potential damage to your enamel over time.
Starchy Foods: Starch-filled foods, such as potato chips, cookies, cakes, muffins and other starchy, processed snacks, tend to get trapped in your teeth. These starchy carbohydrates stay in your mouth and breakdown into sugar and acid more slowly, thus creating a longer period of sugar and acid threat to the teeth. Bacteria in your mouth love to feed on the left-behind sugars from these foods (3, 4, 6).
Analyze your diet over the next few weeks to discover which of these simple, daily changes you could make to ensure better health and protection for your enamel! Call Hagen Dental at (513) 251-5500 or visit our website here to learn more.
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At any given time, we’re all developing some degree of plaque in our mouths. But when we brush, floss, and get regular dentist cleanings, we help to make sure it doesn’t become a problem.
Plaque is a biofilm, mostly made of bacteria, that adheres to the surface of our teeth. Plaque has an organized structure and its components – glycoproteins and polysaccharides – make it impossible to remove with water or by just using mouthwash.
In as little as a day, the biofilm that is in our mouth can transform from the soft and removable kind of plaque into a hard state – also called tartar – and that is much harder to remove.
The bacteria in dental plaque is what can lead to periodontal disease. (“Peri” means around, and “odontal” refers to our teeth.)
Our bodies strive to get rid of the bacteria we have in our mouth, and therefore the cells of your immune system have an inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory reaction is how and why our gums then become swollen and can bleed. The more that nothing is done to fight off this bacteria, the more this can become a problem, and the more the bacteria will thrive.
Scalers are a tool that your dentist uses during – you guessed it – scaling and root planing. These are special tools that are used professionally in order to fight this bacteria build-up. The scaler can come in a couple of different sizes, but generally, it is a tool that is narrower at the tip. No matter what the tool looks like, they are simply specialized tools used to remove tartar and plaque.
The treatment works towards fighting periodontal disease – both on the teeth and the roots of your teeth. First, your teeth and gums are numbed so that all the plaque and tartar can be removed without any discomfort. Next, the professional tools are used to remove calculus. That may be by ultrasonic, sonic scaler, or power scaler.
After the bacteria is removed beneath the gum line, then teeth are smoothed and cleaned so that the gum tissue not only properly heals, but so it “reattaches” to your teeth. Part of the reason teeth can be smoothed is to get rid of surfaces and areas where bacteria are trapped or held – the same places where that bacteria would otherwise be much more likely to thrive. That’s also part of the treatment designed to get your gums back to their healthiest state.
Certain patients may have additional steps as part of their scaling and root planing treatment, depending on their vulnerability to gum disease and their medical history.
For example, there is ARESTIN®, which allows antibiotics to be slowly released over time in your mouth. Your dentist simply adds ARESTIN® to the your most vulnerable areas in the mouth – the pocket between your gum and tooth. This means that not only have you killed a great deal of bacteria during scaling and root planing, but you are now killing bacteria left behind after your procedure.
Your dentist will be able to recommend and tell you if you have periodontal disease, including any appropriate treatments – such as scaling and root planing – that can help you get back your healthy smile. Your dentist will not only take into account the current state of your teeth, but also your entire health history. Typically, if your dentist determines that you have gum disease that has progressed to a certain stage where bone loss is more likely to occur, he or she may recommend this kind of treatment.
Does your infection go away forever thanks to this treatment? The answer is that it is important to know that just because you have scaling and root planing, doesn’t meant you should go back to and bad oral health habits. Rather, the treatment is going to be maximized only if brushing, flossing and regular dentist visits (among other behaviors you want to avoid such as smoking) are kept up after your treatment. With that said, scaling and root planing does greatly support those looking to regain healthy-looking, firm gums.
In the end, the entire procedure can be done in an environment in which you are comfortable, and it can typically be done in a single visit. For some people, after the treatment, the mouth may be tender. In certain scenarios, the treatment can be broken into several visits when requested by a patient.
Want to learn more about scaling and root planing or ARESTIN®? Whether it is for a cosmetic consultation, scaling and root planing, or your regular visit, we’d love to see you. Read more about Dr. Hagen and the team, including our state-of-the-art dental methods and technologies, and give us a call today at (513) 251-5500.
Sources/References
Think you know toothpaste? How many of these taglines do you recognize?
Source/References:
http://www.buckybeaver.ca/buckys_story.php
http://www.thinkslogans.com/slogans/advertising-slogans/toothepaste-slogans/
You may think you know a lot about Hagen, but did you know these 4 things?
CEREC uses ceramic materials to restore any tooth that is decayed or broken, a procedure that can be done in just one-visit. What’s great is that it also preserves your tooth structure, and it lasts for a long, long, long time – if not forever.
But did you know that Dr. Hagen was one of the first to do this – in the region?
Assuming you are a candidate for a CEREC restoration, we examine a number of factors including the tooth itself, and the tissue around it. We then get an optical impression of the tooth. A reflective powder is applied to the tooth, and a picture is taken and viewed on our computer screen. That’s all done so we can make the perfect restoration!
Then we use our CEREC machine to create the restoration. After we have our 3-dimensional, virtual model of the tooth, Dr. Hagen designs the custom-fit restoration you’ll eventually have inside your mouth. That means that – as you might have guessed by now – we’ve been doing a form of 3D printing, right in our office, for years!
Next Dr. Hagen will bond the crown to the remaining tooth structure. This ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is not only cut out and shaped perfectly but we make sure you have a proper fit and a comfortable bite when it’s in your mouth. Not only has Dr. Hagen been doing one-visit CEREC crowns for years, but he was one of the first to even call it by that name.
If you’ve been to Hagen Dental Practice, you know we do everything we can to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. We keep you smiling – not just with our excellent treatment, but with the unusually friendly and caring manner with which care is provided.
But did you know that our team has 202+ combined years of experience? We want our team members to be both technically competent and personally warm, and we feel fortunate to have found such people! See the team on our website here.
Snap-On Smile™ brings you an affordable, pain-free, non-invasive cosmetic way to get a beautiful smile.
Looking to close a gap you have in your teeth? Or maybe you are looking to cover your existing crooked teeth? Another way that Hagen Dental Practice is leading the way is with the ability to get a smile makeover in our office. With Snap-On Smile™, there is no drilling or extractions necessary. Let’s explore further.
Once we know if you are a candidate, we talk aesthetics. Then, a pain-free impression of your teeth is made, and on your next visit with Hagen, you will have your new smile fitting!
The fitting is just what it sounds like: we make sure that your new smile fits just as it should, and you get to walk out with your beautiful smile! Your smile makeover can be just that easy and quick, and your fitting can last as long as 5 years. That’s right: Snap-On Smile™ requires no shots and no drilling! Ask us for more information if you’d like to learn more about this life-changing solution.
When you come in to Hagen Dental Practice, a hygienist professionally cleans your teeth, helping to keep your teeth free of cavities and your gums free of bacteria. In turn, this lessen the risk of serious health conditions.
On your own, regular brushing helps combat plaque and tartar build-up, but that’s also what we look to remove when you come in to see us. Regular cleanings keep serious problems from developing and they help you keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. Just ask any of our patients – which certainly range from brand new teeth to teeth that have lasted for decades!
Speaking of teeth that last for a lifetime, did you know that Hagen Dental Practice’s patients range from 3 to 100 years old? We are proud to be able to offer services to children at their first visit and to 100 and beyond!
No matter your age, we’d love to come see you! After all, you and your entire family deserve a healthy smile that can last a lifetime. If you are thinking about bringing the younger kids in, know that we can relieve fears in children of all ages and put them at ease for every visit. Whether it is for a cosmetic consultation or for your regular visit, we’d love to see you. Read more about Dr. Hagen and the team, including our state-of-the-art dental methods and technologies, and then give us a call today at (513) 251-5500 to schedule a visit for you or your children.