Patients who schedule routine general dentistry visits understand that maintaining a healthy mouth is critical to overall health. Therefore, although teeth cleaning may occur at regular dental appointments, patients also visit general dentists for other treatments.
A general dentist is a primary dental care provider responsible for helping patients maintain healthy mouths by providing preventative and restorative services. These dentists also educate patients about home care techniques.
Visiting a general dentist can prevent or stall the progression of various dental problems. However, patients can also obtain these four common treatments from a general dentist.
Dental fillings are among the most common restoration procedures patients can receive at a general dentistry office. Dentists fill teeth to treat various conditions, including:
A dentist may fill a patient's tooth using silver amalgam, porcelain, gold, or resin, depending upon a tooth's location and function or the appearance a patient desires. Dentists can perform tooth filling procedures in a single visit.
A patient can have a tooth extraction at a general dentistry office if the entire tooth is above the gumline. For example, a dentist may pull a tooth when an infection causes an abscess, overcrowding compromises adjacent teeth, trauma leads to severe damage, or gum disease causes decay. A dentist can perform a simple tooth extraction using various instruments to expand the tooth socket, detach the tooth from the periodontal ligaments, and draw the tooth out of the socket. Simple tooth extractions take between 20 and 40 minutes.
Dentists recommend crowns to support bridges, reinforce weak teeth, or improve a smile's appearance. Crowns may consist entirely of porcelain, metal, resin, stainless steel, or porcelain with metal, and various factors determine the appropriate material. For example, resin crowns are cost-effective but fragile, making them suitable for front teeth not necessary for rigorous chewing. Gold crowns have a prominent appearance and are ideal for invisible back teeth if patients are willing to pay a higher price for them.
Patients can receive dental bridges at a general dentistry office. Bridges of prosthetic teeth consisting of porcelain, metal alloys, and gold, fill the empty spaces missing teeth leave behind. Crowns cover the natural teeth on either side of the vacancy and provide a stable base where the dentist mounts the bridge. A dentist must ensure that a crown does not protrude beyond the tooth line by drilling away portions of the natural tooth beneath it. A general dentist may recommend a bridge to promote effective chewing, restore a patient's face shape and smile, or prevent natural teeth from shifting toward the open space.
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General dentistry practices provide a wide range of preventative, restorative, and educational services to help patients maintain healthy teeth and gums. In addition, a dentist can determine an appropriate oral care regimen for patients' unique circumstances.
Request an appointment or call St Lucie Center for Cosmetic Dentistry at 772-242-4124 for an appointment in our Port St. Lucie office.
A tooth abscess is one of the most serious problems treated in general dentistry. It occurs due to an infection in the tooth or gums. The body sends white blood cells to the site to fight the infection. These form a yellowish-white fluid called pus. An abscess occurs when a pocket of pus forms in…
X-rays are used not only in medical offices but in general dentistry offices as well. This type of assessment is often performed at least once a year at dental checkups, and more often for some patients. While it may seem like a simple step at your biannual appointment, it can be critical for maintaining healthy…
In general dentistry, the dentist examines, diagnoses, and treats a patient's teeth for various conditions and damage. According to the ADA, about 80% of all dentists choose general dentistry for their practice. Your first point of contact for dental conditions, malformations, or decay is your general dentist.In general dentistry, dentists always attempt to save a…
