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In the US, all dentists must receive a doctorate degree. This typically requires 8 years after high school graduation. Most dentists receive a bachelor’s degree in college, often in a science-related field, as dental schools require entering students to have completed extensive coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. I attended Furman University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Then dental school is an additional 4-year program. Most programs are full-time and year round. The first two years of the program are full of courses related to general health ...

Toothaches are well known to be one of the most miserable types of pain that one can experience. On quite a few occasions, I’ve had female patients tell me that the pain they have with a toothache is worse than anything they went through with childbirth. So what causes toothaches, and what can you do to help minimize discomfort if you experience a toothache?

The most common types of toothaches are caused by an irritation to the living tissue on the inside of the tooth, which is known as the pulp. This irritation is usually caused by a deep cavity, but ...

All about dentures

Most people have heard of dentures or “false teeth”. But many people don’t realize what dentures really are, how they work, and what their limitations are. Below I’ll try to explain a little about the types of dentures that are available and how we go about making them.

In this article, I will be discussing full/complete dentures. Full dentures are removable appliances that are made when someone is missing all of their natural teeth in one arch (upper or lower) or both arches. Partial dentures can also be made to replace one or more (but not all) missing teeth ...

One of the most frequent questions we get asked at Hagan Dentistry is “How can I get my teeth whiter”? If this is a question you’ve also had, it may be helpful to know a little more about what causes teeth to darken in the first place.

First, it is important to know that teeth naturally come in many different colors or variations of white/ off-white. Some teeth naturally have more grayish tones. Others are more yellowish or brownish. Patients are always amazed when we pull out our shade guide to choose a color for a filling or crown ...

For many different reasons, it is very important to receive regular dental care. Different studies have shown that poor dental health can be connected with a variety of other health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, pre-term births, and diabetes. Furthermore, going to the dentist regularly can help detect small dental problems while they can be treated easily and inexpensively. Delaying dental visits can often lead to more expensive and invasive treatments.

Because we know how important regular dental care is, Hagan Dentistry makes it a priority to make dental care affordable for everyone. One way we do this is by ...

Dental implants are one of the greatest technological advances that we have in dentistry. Dental implants are basically titanium tooth roots, and are based on the same science and technology as joint replacements. In fact, some companies that manufacture dental implants also make joint replacements.

One of the chief ways that we use dental implants is to replace a single missing tooth. In the past, the go-to method to replace a single tooth would be what’s called a fixed partial denture or “bridge”. In order to make a bridge, you have to have a tooth present on either side of the missing tooth. ...

Children’s dental care receives a lot of attention at school and on TV programming. It is definitely important to teach kids about dental care and help them establish healthy habits early in life. However, far less attention is placed on dental care for senior adults. There are unique challenges that some senior adults experience that make dental education extremely important for this population.

Common Concerns

A common problem we see in our practice that can be devastating to the teeth of senior adults is dry mouth, or xerostomia as it is known in the scientific literature. This is where the body produces an inadequate ...