UNDERSTANDING THE PROCEDURES USED IN GENERAL DENTISTRY

A general dentist provides a basic amount of restorative and preventative treatments to a patient’s teeth. These procedures can repair damage caused by decay, prevent infections and other issues that can cause bone atrophy, or prevent issues.

How Can a General Dentist Help to Prevent Dental Problems?

There are a number of ways that a dentist can help to prevent problems in the mouth. These include things from dental exams to more complicated procedures involving cleaning below the gum line.

Some of the preventative treatments general dentists tend to offer include:

• Dental Exams – Exams are vital for assessing the state of your oral health. Your dentist may probe for tooth decay, check for oral tumors, and inspect for other potential problems
• Cleaning – Tartar is a harder form of plaque that plaque prefers to adhere to due to its rough texture. Tartar and plaque can both lead to tooth decay. It requires special tools to remove.
• Sealants – Certain teeth may benefit from the use of sealants. These are designed to protect problem areas of the teeth without the need for permanent restorations.
• X-Rays – These help locate cavities, loose teeth, abscesses and other problems that extend to the hidden structures within your mouth.

Preventative care from a dentist tends to help reduce the number of restorative treatments that a patient may require. They can also prevent irreversible conditions, such as advanced periodontitis, from occurring.

What Restorative Procedures Do Dentists Perform?

Restorative procedures are designed to restore the function and form of your teeth. These procedures are generally conducted within your local dentist office. Most are completed within one to two appointments.

Some examples of restorative procedures your dentist may perform are:

• Fillings – Composite or amalgam fillings are designed to provide support and protection once decay has been removed from your teeth. It is important to have these checked regularly, as they can fail.
• Crowns – These restorations are designed to encapsulate a tooth that has undergone significant trauma or is at risk. They help to spread the amount of force that a tooth withstands, which in turn helps prevent fractures and other harmful occurrences.
• Root Canal Therapy – When the nerve of a tooth becomes infected or traumatized, it must be removed to prevent tooth loss and bone atrophy. This procedure removes the damaged tooth pulp before restoring the tooth with a restoration like a crown.
• Veneers – Teeth can become chipped, fractured or damaged. Veneers are designed to fulfill the same function of restoration as fillings while providing a more stable restoration.
• Extractions – When a tooth cannot be preserved, it must be extracted to prevent further problems from occurring.
• Implants – Some dentists perform dental implant procedures. These restorations place an artificial tooth within the mouth to replace one that has been removed or lost.

Keeping Your Smile Healthy

The procedures listed above are just a few examples of the procedures that can stabilize and restore your mouth’s health.

When you’re ready to rejuvenate your smile, then call our local dentist office. We can schedule an appointment for exams and a consultation to ensure your is functional and beautiful.