General Dentistry

What can a General Dentist do?

General Dentistry is an umbrella term that includes Family Dentistry, Preventative Dentistry and Cosmetic Dentistry. Our family dentist can treat patients of all ages and we provide a wide range of common procedures such as fillings, crown, veneers, dentures, cleanings, and cosmetic work.

Advanced Procedures

CROWNS: Crowns are full coverage restorations that are used to cover a tooth that at risk of breaking or fracturing or is too broken down to be restored with a filling. They are most commonly done after root canal treatment, or when a large filling wears out. The larger the hole made by a cavity that has to be treated, the more likely a crown will be needed. Even after a filling is put in a large cavity, a tooth is more likely to break. Keep in mind that the jaw muscles are the strongest in the human body. Teeth are subjected to tremendous pressures. Crowns ride over the weakened tooth, providing strength and protecting the tooth against breakage. A broken or cracked tooth is a far more serious matter and much more difficult to treat. Crowns prevent this, as well as making a nice smile. It takes two appointments to restore a tooth with a crown. The decay is removed from the tooth and it is shaped to accept the crown. Then an impression is made of the tooth for use in fabricating a crown.

BRIDGES: This is an option for filling the space created by a missing tooth. It is formed to look like the missing tooth, and it takes its place in the mouth. The sides of a bridge use the two surrounding teeth for support, hence the name. A bridge replaces the missing tooth, both functionally and cosmetically. Bridge work is as much an art as it is an exact science. The materials used may be gold alloys, porcelain bonded to metal alloy, or all ceramic material. The choice of material depends on requirements for strength, wear, and/or esthetics.

DENTURES & PARTIALS: There are different types of dentures, but they share their common function. They replace teeth that have become loose or been lost due to bone loss. When bone loss around the roots of teeth is great enough to loosen them or let them fall out, it’s time for dentures. Relax. No one enjoys losing their natural teeth, but you can still eat and talk regularly. The entire mouth is examined, and a determination is made as to which teeth will have to be removed, and which will remain. The loose teeth are then extracted. Dentures are fitted to go over or around whatever teeth remain in the mouth, depending on the type. There is an adjustment period after dentures are placed in the mouth, and it can take some getting used to. But once accustomed to the dentures, all the normal functionality and appearance return, and one just carries on as usual. Often implants can further stabilize the dentures.

WHITE (COMPOSITE) FILLINGS: A composite filling is a tooth-colored plastic and glass mixture used to restore decayed teeth. Composites are also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.