General and Preventive Dental Services

The oral health of our patients is extremely important to us. A healthy smile not only helps you keep your natural teeth, it also contributes to your over-all health and well-being. Using high quality dental materials, we provide the services your entire family requires to achieve maximum oral health. We have developed relationships with some of the top dental specialists in the area to provide in-depth specialized treatment if needed.

Please read the information below to read further information about the General and Preventive Dental Services we provide.

 

Preventive Dentistry

Prevention is the best defense against tooth decay, tooth loss and gum disease. Brushing twice a day, routine flossing, regular dental exams and professional cleanings are the best steps toward prevention. We take the time to educate our patients on the best home tooth and gum care so you can be active participants in keeping your smile healthy. Even if you think your mouth is in perfect health, we suggest you come in for regular exams. If potential problems are caught early they are generally easier and less costly to treat. Each exam includes a thorough exam of your teeth and gums as well as an oral cancer screening. Maintenance and prevention are the best ways to keep your attractive smile healthy!
 

Periodontal Therapy

No Joke... Ignoring Your Teeth Could Kill You!

The Signposts of Gum Disease

• Blood on your toothbrush after brushing
• Blood on your floss after flossing
• Painful, shiny red or swollen gum tissue
• Loose and/or wobbly teeth
• Tooth roots becoming exposed
• Never-ending bad breath (halitosis)
• Pus between the teeth
• Sharp pain when you chew or bite on something
• A change in how your teeth come together
• New spaces between your teeth
• Finding food packed up in your gums

Orally-related disease is the most commonly-occuring ongoing biological ailment across the globe, far outpacing the cold and sniffles. Research studies completed in the U.S. show that more than half of Americans have gingivitis and 30 percent have periodontitis, according to the American Academy of Periodontology.

The word “periodontal” means “around the tooth.” Gum disease is an insidious infection that slowly destroys the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can compromise a single tooth or the majority of your teeth. It begins when more than 500 different species of bacteria and dental plaque (that sticky, colorless layer constantly growing on your teeth) irritate the gums.

This might seem like something out of science fiction, however, the infectious germs in your gums can move through your system arriving at vital organs, joints and muscles. What you must realize is that periodontal disease is a bigger danger to one’s health than we thought before. Therefore, if your health is important to you, do something now about gum disease.

In addition to gum disease’s negative effect on your internal organs, the disease might also diminish the benefits of any medicine you are receiving for a medical condition.

Dr. Hagen Is Now Recommending Periodontal Therapy To Prevent Heart Disease

When you visit Hagen’ hygienists to treat your gum disease, you are aggressively lowering your odds of developing heart disease. 

Recent research has found that men and women with periodontal disease have higher odds of also having coronary artery disease than those who don’t. Researchers believe that bacteria coming from chronic periodontal disease can spread through the bloodstream and contribute to disease in the heart and other parts of the body.

For the past decade, recurring studies have determined that there is a proven connection between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease. One result of unchecked periodontal disease is the loss of teeth. When gum disease gets bad enough, your teeth usually start falling out.

Scientists in Finland began to investigate the connection between the number of missing teeth in a person and the rate of diagnosed heart disease in the group. They looked at almost 1500 men aged 45 to 64 years. Their research revealed that those men with a higher number of missing teeth from sustained oral infections resulting from periodontal disease also had a higher incidence of heart disease. Their conclusions? Gum disease has been found to increase the risk of heart attack by as much as 25 percent. It increases the risk of having a stroke by a factor of 10.

With Gum Disease, Every Breath Might Be Dangerous To Your Lungs

According to the Centers for Disease Control, people with chronic periodontal disease are most at risk for pneumonia. So, taking action now to address your periodontal disease is priority #1 for reducing your chance of spending a week in the hospital with pneumonia.

Gum Disease May Predict Type II Diabetes

Even though adults with diabetes are more prone to periodontal disease, we didn’t know which came first, the diabetes or the periodontal disease. Twenty years ago, scientists at Columbia University’s School of Public Health reviewed a representative sample of 9,000 adults who didn’t have diabetes. Over time, about 800 of them went on to develop the disease. What they discovered was if a participant had advanced periodontal disease, they had twice the odds of contracting diabetes in the next twenty years, even when age, smoking, obesity and diet were figured in to the equation.

According to Dr. Demmer, associate research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, “Over two decades of tracking, we can see that individuals who had periodontitis were twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life if compared to people who did not start out with periodontal disease.”

What This All Means To Dentists

Previously, dental practices committed to saving your teeth through regular dental care. From now on, we have to expand our focus of care. If you have an inflammatory condition like periodontal disease, it puts you at a higher risk for more serious systemic problems, whether it’s heart problems, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. From now on, as we take care of your mouth, we aren’t just saving your teeth, which in itself is a very good goal, we could also be protecting your life as well.

Dr. Hagen concludes, “It’s not enough anymore to just attend to suspicious spots in the gum tissue. Given this new research, eradicating gum disease will be an important part of maintaining, and improving our patients’ overall health and their enjoyment of life. In fact, it will mean that if our patients’ teeth and gums are not healthy, we can assume that they are not healthy overall.”

Dental Services for Children

We love working with our young patients and know that they have unique needs when visiting the dentist. We never try to push children so that they end up fearful of the dentist’s office. We would like for their visit to to be as enjoyable and comfortable as possible, and for them to build life-long relationships with the dentist’s office.

At our office in Parkesburg PA, we encourage mothers and fathers of young kids to bring them along to the parent’s routine dental visit so the boy or girl can easily see what goes on at the visit, and become acquainted with our team and office.

We also suggest that your little one’s initial visit be between twenty four months and 3 years of age. At this age we can easily begin to keep an eye on the growth and development of their teeth.

When New Teeth Arrive:

Your child’s first tooth erupts between ages 6-12 months and the remainder of their 20 primary or “baby” teeth typically erupt by age 3. During this time, gums may feel tender and sore, causing your child to feel irritable. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring.

Your child’s primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood, and their permanent teeth begin erupting at age 6 and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth, or 32 including wisdom teeth.

Pre-School Appointment

At our office in Parkesburg PA, we think that even toddlers need to see the dentist! Prevention and early intervention can help maintain healthy, happy smiles for a lifetime!

 

Pre-School Orthodontics Dental Checkup

The majority of parents of young children didn’t have orthodontic work done when they were growing up. Actually, if they wore braces it was because their teeth were really crowded and crooked. Some families didn’t have enough money for braces. But, most of the time it was because parents didn’t recognize that a child’s teeth were bad, and their dentist didn’t bring it up unless the parents asked about braces.

When today’s parents were young, if you had crowded teeth dentists simply pulled a few adult teeth. Of course, looking back, we figured out that doing so was a disaster in the making.

Only in the last decade or so did we became aware of the vicious circle of pain caused by malocclusion (a mismatched bite). Orthodontic dentistry is no longer just for good looks. There is much more than that to worry about. Misalignment and malocclusion can bring on chronic headaches and full-blown migraines. A misaligned bite can cause ringing in the ears and vertigo (dizziness). Completely healthy teeth can start to chip and wear away, producing a ragged-edged smile.

Worst of all, malocclusion usually isn’t something a parent can just “see”. It lurks in the background continuously exerting strain and pressure on the jaw joint, the teeth and the chewing muscles. Then, one day, your ace student can’t take the English test because of a migraine. Or, he can’t hit jump shots anymore because he has developed vertigo.

 

There are some real benefits in starting orthodontic treatment when children are much younger. The children usually don’t have to wear braces for a long period of time during those awkward teenage years. It is also much easier to expand the palate and allow room for all of the adult teeth to have the proper space to come in. In most of those cases, young children will not get braces, however they will have their palates expanded by an appliance. This will make their arches wider. It allows space in the mouth for all of the child’s adult teeth to properly grow.

Our office in Parkesburg PA has developed relationships with some excellent orthodontists in the area and can refer you and your child to an orthodontist if an exam reveals crowded or crooked teeth, or issues with the palate. We can help you choose the best orthodontist that meets the needs and temperament of your child.

Didn’t Fluoride Eradicate Cavities in the 60’s?

Scientists in the 1960’s found that fluoride helped build a stronger defense against the teeth’s enemies like bacteria and acids and sweets. And, yes, when fluoride was added to a city’s drinking water, the incidence of cavities dropped sharply. It was even predicted at one time that there would come a time when we wouldn’t need dentists anymore.

However, even the scientists of the 60’s couldn’t predict the development of Mountain Dew, Power Aid Energy Drinks and Gummy Worms. There is no way they could have foreseen that the average teenager would now eat their own weight in refined sugar every year. And, finally, even those scientists with a dark pessimistic vision of the 21st century, couldn’t imagine the power that high-fructose corn syrup would wield against fluoride, regular toothpaste and even daily flossing.

Tips For Your Family’s Oral Health:

• Limit frequency of meals and snacks. • Encourage brushing, flossing and rinsing. • Watch what your child drinks. • Avoid giving your child sticky foods. • Make treats part of meals. • Choose nutritious snacks.

Correct dental hygiene at your home is really important and needs to start at a very young age. We take the time to instruct mothers and fathers and kids on proper flossing and brushing techniques to allow them to enjoy excellent dental health for a lifetime