What Are The Common Dental Procedures That Fall Within General Dentistry?
General dentistry is a branch of dentistry focusing on evaluating, maintaining, and treating oral health problems. In addition, your general dentist can perform an oral examination for minor surgeries such as extractions. Here are some common procedures your general dentist can perform, including their benefits.
What is General Dentistry?
General dentistry is the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of oral health issues. It is meant to maintain andprotect the excellent health of your teeth and gums.
Many general dentists combine specialized care, including restorative services, oral surgery, and basic care treatment. Some of these dental procedures include:
- Dental exams and teeth cleanings
- X-rays
- Cavity fillings
- Sleep apnea treatment
- Temporomandibular joint disorder treatment
- Root canal treatment
- Fluoride treatment
- Oral cancer screenings
- Gingivitis treatments
- Tooth sealants
- Cosmetic dental procedures such as teeth whitening.
- Minor surgeries such as tooth extraction and wisdom tooth removal.
How Can General Dentistry Help Improve Oral Health?
Your general dentist in Clovis improves your oral health by treating dental problems that cause pain and discomfort or make you self-conscious about your smile. Here are some of the procedures done by an oral dentist and how they improve your oral health.
- Dental Fillings
Dental fillings are used to take care of teeth with decay or cavities. They can also be used to repair your injured teeth with fractures. When a patient complains of headaches, a general dentist first checks for cavities and cracks. This is by examining teeth visually with the use of X-rays. If your dentist near you finds that you have a cavity, they have to fix it.
The procedure involves numbing the siteand removing the decayed material from your tooth. Your dentist will then clean the tooth before sealing it with a dental filling. You can choose the filling you prefer, whether gold, silver, dental resin, or porcelain.
- Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns are a dental procedure done by a general dentist to repair teeth thathave been damaged by decay or injury. As a dental restoration, crowns are a few options for saving damaged teeth from a tooth extraction. They can also be used to correct any cosmetic imperfections.
It usually takes two dental appointments to complete the procedure, as the crowns have to be made in the laboratory. However, some general dentists can make the crowns themselves, and thus, it is possible to have your dental crowns on the same day.
Dental crowns restore your teeth by covering them completely,protectingthem from further damage or infection.
- Tooth Extractions
When your decayed tooth has no chance of being saved, your general dentist has to remove it. Likewise, when your wisdom tooth becomes impacted and tries to push past your gums, your dentist has to remove it. Your dentist will also remove any troublesome and painful wisdom teeth that fail to grow appropriately.
If the tooth causing the problems is above your gumline, your dentist will remove it by loosening it from your tooth socket and pulling it out. A tooth causing trouble under your gumline must be removed through minor surgery.
- Professional Dental Cleaning and Dental Exams
This procedure is done by your dentist to improve the health of your gums and teeth. Though you might be observing your oral hygiene, it might be difficult to reach the molars; thus, food particles and tartar may build on these areas, causing decay.
Regular dental cleaning by your general dentist helps remove this buildup leaving your teethhealthy and beautiful.
- Dental Implants
The most andbest permanent way of replacing your natural teeth is by using dental implants. This ental procedure is used to replace missing or gapped teeth. The placement procedure involves a minor surgery that places the implant on your jawbone.
Though this process may take some months for it to be completed, the replacement of dental implants gives you a permanent replacement solution for artificial teeth. The implanted supported dental crowns and dentures work just like your natural teeth.
If you are searching for general dentistry in Clovis, which offers all of the above dental procedures, visit Valley Dental and Orthodontics. Your dentist will check and evaluate your oral health and diagnose the problem you are experiencing.