General dentistry: An Overview

Having a healthy and beautiful smile is one of the most significant assets an individual can possess. A good smile can enhance various facets of your life, including your overall health and confidence. Besides the maintenance of proper oral hygiene at home, biannual visits to the dentist are also important to have a healthy and beautiful set of teeth. For this, the relationship with your dental provider is crucial, and it is important to find a skilled and experienced dentist who can help you develop a healthy lifestyle. 

Some dentists specialize in a specific branch, such as pediatrics, endodontics, orthodontics, etc., while others offer treatment for all common dental concerns. Such dentists are called general dentists, and they are similar to general physicians in their approach - they diagnose and treat common dental issues. Like general physicians, general dentists treat patients of all age groups, making it easy and convenient to schedule a single consultation for all members of a family. General dentists offer services related to the general maintenance of tooth health and oral hygiene.

Read on to have an in-depth look at general dentistry and what does it involve. 

What services do general dentists provide?

Cosmetic dental treatment

• Teeth whitening:Teeth whitening procedures are done to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of one's smile. With the help of teeth whitening gel, stains are removed from the surface of the teeth. The popular teeth whitening options include in-office whitening, take-home whitening trays, and laser teeth whitening.
• Veneers: Dental veneers can treat various dental concerns, including cracks, chips, severe discoloration, tear and wear and excessive space between teeth.  Dental veneers can be used to make changes to the size, contour, and appearance of the teeth. Veneers are wafer-thin pieces of porcelain that are bonded to the teeth's frontal surface. 
• Gum treatment:Gums hold our teeth in position and enhances the aesthetics of the smile. Gum diseases are treated by extracting the decayed soft tissues, placing medication in the deep gum products to treat the infection, and grafting healthy tissues to the area of gum recession if required.
• Crowns: Dental crowns are ceramic restorations bonded to the teeth and hold the teeth together, preventing further damage. Crowns cover a tooth entirely and are used to treat broken, chipped, worn out, and weak teeth.

Routine consultations

During a routine consultation, which should ideally be conducted once every six months, a comprehensive diagnosis of the mouth is made to determine the onset of oral conditions. These biannual checkups are to ensure that the oral health of the patient is not compromised. During the checkup, your dentist will look into factors like tooth decay, cavities, gum diseases, etc., and address them using suitable methods. Plaque and tartar deposits are removed by scaling and root planing, and the cavities are filled using suitable filling material. Gum diseases are treated using medication or laser therapy. Besides, if any other oral concerns are noticed, your general dentist will diagnose them and suggest treatment accordingly.

Cavity treatment

• Fillings

Cavities are common and are usually caused as a result of various reasons - excessive consumption of sugary foods, poor oral health, etc. Your general dentist treats cavities by eliminating the decay and filling the cavity with suitable material.

• Root canal treatment

If the underlying dental pulp is severely decayed by the microbes in the mouth, it can cause a root canal infection. To treat this condition, the infected pulp is extracted using dental equipment, and the tooth is restored using a crown.

• Extractions

If your tooth is beyond any form of treatment or restorations as a result of severe cavities, damage, etc., tooth extractions are performed. 

• Teeth replacement

If you have missing teeth, it can lead to conditions like jawbone deterioration, hindered oral functionality, drifting of the adjoining teeth, etc. It can also affect the aesthetics of your smile as well. Missing teeth can be restored using prosthetic restorations such as dental implants, bridges, or dentures. 

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