General Dentistry Treatments

Overview

General dentistry is the first area of dental treatment that focuses to ensure you have a good oral hygiene and dental health. It ensures that you do not have any issues such as gum disease or cavities. It covers a wide range of treatments and takes care of your overall dental health and needs. It uses the restorative procedures for repairing the effects of tooth decay, defect, trauma or diseases in different regions of the mouth.

Fillings and Repairs

The restorative materials and fillings are used to repair teeth that have been compromised due to trauma, tooth decay or cavities. Your dentist will use several methods such as x-rays, cavity detecting dye and laser fluorescence cavity detection aids to determine if you have the tooth decay. Tooth trauma can be caused by broken or cracked teeth, or teeth used to open things, worn out teeth due to nail biting, tooth grinding, etc. Fillings can be either the conventional silver fillings or they can be made from a tootj-colored resin that looks and feels like natural teeth. Discuss with your dentist to know which filling will be best for your needs.

Root Canals (Endodontics)

The root canal treatment is a means to save a tooth which had been damaged by the deep decay or infection. The purpose of this treatment is to restore the tooth so that it can function properly inside your mouth.

Dental Crowns (Caps)

A placement of a crown or cap is recommended when a tooth is fractured, has a large, old filling, or it is severely damaged due to decay. Crowns strengthen and protect the remaining tooth structure and this will improve the appearance of your smile. There are different types of crown which include the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, the full porcelain crown and the all-metal crown. This procedure will take place over two visits to your dentist.

Bridges and Implants

Your dentist may recommend the placement of a bridge when the tooth loss occurs. When one or more teeth are missing, the remaining teeth can drift out of position and this can lead to change in the bite, decay, food traps, gum disease and the loss of additional teeth. A bridge is one or more replacement teeth which is anchored by one or more crown on each side.

Extractions

A tooth extraction is the removal of tooth from its socket in the bone. Reasons for extracting a permanent tooth include a broken tooth or a damaged tooth due to severe decay. Your dentist will try to use other method like crown or dental treatment, fixing the tooth with a filling or leaving extraction as a final option. Some people have extra teeth which block other teeth from coming in and therefore require extractions. People getting braces may need teeth extraction to make more room for the teeth being moved into place.

Often the wisdom teeth are extracted either before or after they come in and this procedure is done on individual’s in their late teens or early 20’s. In some cases, the wisdom teeth are pulled later in life or not at all. Often the wisdom teeth get stuck in the jaw and do not come in. It is therefore best to schedule an appointment with your dentist to decide which options are suitable for you.

Teeth Whitening

With age, teeth naturally darkens and staining is caused due to various foods and beverages such as black tea, coffee, smoking cigaretters, berries, trauma to tootj and some drugs such as tetracycline.

Teeth whitening is the process for whitening the teeth using a peroxide based material and it is one of the most effective cosmetic dental procedures to improve discoloured and stained teeth.

After having gone through some of the general denstiry treatment, it is clear that it focuses on treatments required for long-term dental health. Many people visit a dentist when they are in pain or when they are looking for a radica; change often for the aesthetic reasons. Before opting for a radical change, it is essential that your dental health should be in a good condition. Regular check-ups are one of the best forms of preventative dental care. Leaving the dental problems untreated can lead to further complications in the future. Therefore it is a much better idea to start now and deal with any problems early. This will help you avoid the need to deal with the dental problems later. Oral health maintenance such as brushing, flossing and eating healthy in your daily life also prevents the development of serious dental problems.