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Your Dental IQ

Fundamental Truth: Knowledge is Power

As your dental care providers, we want to keep you informed about oral health issues that may affect you, contemporary procedures, and the services available to you at Haygood Dental Care. These questions and answers, articles, websites, and our news blog offer a wealth of information about dentistry. Spend some time looking around, and feel free to call us with questions or mention your questions at your next visit.

Common Questions

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Great Articles

Interesting Websites

Answers

What can Dr. Haygood do to help me overcome bad breath?

If you brush and floss daily, don’t smoke, and don’t need restorative dental care, but you still suffer with halitosis, there’s hope. Many people try to treat bad breath with minty gum or mouthwash, but these solutions only mask the problem without tackling the root cause. In fact, these products can dry out your mouth and actually aggravate halitosis. Dr. Haygood recommends BreathRx, a system that attacks the causes of breath problems, killing bad-breath causing bacteria and neutralizing foul smells.

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Does Dr. Haygood offer conservative, minimally invasive treatment options?

The best medicine for maintaining dental health is preventive dentistry. At your checkups, Dr. Haygood will use DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection to find decay in the earliest stage, when minor fillings may correct the problem. He’ll also screen for oral cancer, which, when found in the earliest stage, can often be treated. Beyond prevention, Dr. Haygood uses a soft tissue laser for gum disease treatment. This minimally invasive technique causes less pain, less bleeding, and less trauma than conventional gum therapy. If you have questions about any of Dr. Haygood’s techniques, please ask.

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Should I be concerned if my gums bleed when I brush, feel tender, or look red and swollen?

Yes. These symptoms may indicate periodontal disease, a condition that affects up to 80% of adults in the United States. Several factors contribute to periodontal disease: plaque buildup, heredity, and lifestyle choices. By far, the most common and controllable factor is bacterial plaque, the sticky, colorless film produced by normal oral bacteria. Bacteria release toxins that break down the natural fibers that bond gums to teeth. When this occurs, pockets between the gums and teeth form, and more bacteria and toxins hide, flourish, and destroy your gums and teeth.

Over time, this process can affect not only gums, teeth, and bone within the mouth, but also overall health. Bacteria in your mouth can enter the bloodstream through the gums, and this can compromise your whole-body health. Dr. Haygood and our hygienists will find gum disease in the early stage during your checkup or cleaning. As with other dental problems, early treatment is ideal. We offer laser gum treatment, a minimally invasive alternative to traditional debridement that promotes gum reattachment to teeth and, in some cases, bone regeneration.

Learn more about gum disease here:

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Does teeth whitening really work? How long will it last?

We bet you didn't know that teeth whitening, in some form, has been around since the 1700s. Modern teeth whitening uses safe and effective bleaching gel to melt away stains and discoloration. Choose from Zoom! Whitening in our Bossier City and Shreveport offices or convenient take-home teeth-whitening kits. Even if you choose Zoom! Whitening, we will give you a professional home bleaching kit to maintain your white smile forever. Home kits come with custom mouth trays and a potent, safe whitening gel. When you run out of gel, just call us to order a refill.

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What would Dr. Haygood recommend for yellowed, short, oddly spaced teeth?

That sounds like an easy question to answer, but it isn't! Your smile is unique, and we won't compromise your individuality with smile enhancements. Smile design dentistry done right requires an initial consultation in which we will discuss your goals, preferences, and options for care. Dr. Haygood may suggest porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, all-white restorations, and/or replacement teeth. Orthodontics may also be involved. We offer traditional braces, clear braces, and clear, removable orthodontic aligners to straighten teeth. After your comprehensive evaluation and consultation, Dr. Haygood will present a smile makeover plan and explain your treatment options.

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Experience quality dental care for quality living. Call our Shreveport and Bossier City dental offices today and reserve your consultation or checkup with Dr. C. Ryan Haygood. Our Shreveport and Bossier City dental offices serve patients from Minden and Haughton, Louisiana, as well as Longview, Texas.