What is General Dentistry?

A branch of medical science, general dentistry deals with identifying, treating, and curbing diseases and disorders that are related to gums, teeth, and oral cavities. It includes periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, public health dentistry, and oral surgery. General dentistry is a very vast field covering various aspects of oral health.

General dentistry has four main areas:

Preventive dentistry: This includes regular examination and cleaning of the teeth to prevent the accumulation of plaque. The branch guard against bacteria thus preventing tooth decay and gum disease.

Restorative dentistry: When the dentist restores your damaged or missing teeth, then it is called restorative dentistry. It can involve procedures such as crowns, fillings, bridges, and implants.

Prosthodontics: This advance general dentistry involves the change of missing teeth with artificial ones. It can include dentures, bridges, and implants.

Orthodontics: This involves the treatment of a tooth with braces and other devices.

What does General Dentistry include?

General dentistry focuses on the treatment of various oral problems. Common procedures performed by general dentists perform include professional teeth cleanings, cavity fillings, and tooth extractions. General dentists can also include giving guidance including brushing and flossing techniques to the patients as to how they can curb oral health problems.

Preventive Services

Your teeth are made to perform lifetime activities, but they won’t be able to do that if you don’t care about them the way should be taken care of. That is where preventive dentistry intervenes. This branch of dentistry deals with the cleaning of teeth and gums to make them free of diseases.

There are many preventive services your dentist can offer, keeping in view your individual needs. Some of them include fluoride treatments, teeth cleanings, sealants, etc.

Regular professional teeth cleanings hold paramount importance as they assist in removing the tartar accumulated on teeth with time, thus preventing gum disease and tooth decay. There are many fluoride treatments with the help of which teeth get strengthened.

Sealants are another form of preventive dentistry that helps cure the spread of cavities in chewing surfaces of molars. They are a thin plastic coating that the dentist applies to the surface of the teeth to harden them. This assists in creating a barrier that the bacteria cannot penetrate.

Hygiene Services

There is no denying the fact that brushing and flossing your teeth stand of equal importance in protecting your teeth against cavities. But professional dental cleaning holds paramount importance to keep your teeth healthy and sparkling. This is why you need to go to a teeth doctor to maintain overall hygiene.

During a professional cleaning, your dentist removes all the plaque from your teeth, thus preventing them from developing any serious oral problems. They will also polish your teeth to give you the perfect smile.

Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry includes different procedures. These are as under:

Bonded fillings

If you have a cavity, then your dentist can suggest a bonded filling. Bonded fillings are tooth-colored composite resins that are designed to fill cavities or repair a chipped or cracked tooth. The dentist pastes the composite resin on the tooth by using a special adhesive to make it durable and strong.

Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, bonded fillings are very strong and long-lasting. They can last for several years if you give them proper care. That is why it is an excellent choice for many people.

Dental implants procedures

A missing tooth only affects the appearance of the person but also damages the tooth around it. The other teeth can shift to the space, thus causing problems while eating and even talking too. This problem can be resolved with a dental implant. This is because the implants give natural look and feel to the person.

In this procedure, the dentist drills a hole in the jaw where the tooth is missing. There, they place a titanium post and an abutment. Then, when the jaw bone gets to heal, the dentist places an implant over it. In some cases, it is necessary to have a bone graft as well if it is difficult to fuse a bone with the post.

Non-surgical gum therapy

Even if you brush or floss daily and visit the dentist after every six months, the natural luster of the teeth begins to fade with time. Nobody likes to have stained teeth as they have an overall impact on the appearance of the person.

If you have gum disease, then non-surgical gum therapy can work best for you. This type of treatment is very fruitful in improving your health as well as preventing your gums from further damage. It treats the gums disease that is caused by the accumulation of plaque on the teeth.

The therapy involves thoroughly cleaning the teeth and gums. This can be done with scaling which provides deep cleaning below the gum line to remove the accumulation of plaque. The process of scaling is more than just general cleaning as you need to pay regular visits to the dentists.

Root canal therapy

Yet another treatment involves in general dentistry is root canal therapy which is used to provide a solution for damaged or infected teeth. This procedure involves the removal of damaged teeth followed by the sealing or filling of the same.

If you are experiencing tooth pain or sensitivity, it’s important to pay a visit to the dentist as early as possible. These can be an indication that your tooth is damaged.

Why do You need To See A General Dentist?

You need to visit a general dentist if you are experiencing the following problems:

• Tooth pain or sensitivity
• Mouth sores
• Changes in your bite
• Ongoing bad breath
• Gum inflammation or bleeding

What Are the Duties of General Dentists?

A general dentist performs treatments that help maintain oral hygiene. It includes various preventative and restorative procedures.

Maintaining a healthy mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue is included in the preventative maintenance process. These general processes include routine exams, fluoride treatments, and cleanings.

The dentist will prefer restorative dentistry if preventative measures failed to provide the desired solution. The term “restorative dental care” includes all the procedures such as a crown, root canal, and implant to cure problems such as tooth decay, trauma, or disease.

What Are the Advantages of General Dentistry?

General dentists make a separate comprehensive oral health care plan for each patient. This is based on various factors including the patient’s age, needs, medical history, diet, and lifestyle choices (smoking). The general dentist can examine if you need special treatments or should prefer other specialists.

What are the services provided by General Dentistry?

The services provided by general dentistry are as follows:

• Dental exams and teeth cleanings
• Root canal treatment
• Sleep apnea treatment
• Gingivitis treatment
• X-rays
• Cavity fillings
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) treatment
• Fluoride treatment
• Cosmetic dentistry procedures (including teeth whitening)
• Oral cancer screenings
• Tooth sealants
• Minor oral surgeries

Ideally, you should visit the dentist after every six months so that your oral health can be assessed and preventive measures can be offered. In other cases, if you have a serious oral concern, you can set up an appointment with a dentist in Dallas TX near you at your convenience and go for a visit.