Improve Your Oral Health With These General Dentistry Procedures

When patients visit the general dentistry office, the goal is to keep their oral health excellent. The appointment may be nothing more than a professional dental cleaning and getting instructions on proper oral health so long as there are no oral issues. If dental problems are to be addressed, the dentist will recommend the appropriate treatment to restore the patient's health.

General dentistry procedures

The following are general dentistry procedures that can help patients improve their oral health:

Dental fillings

Dental fillings are used to fill cavities or decayed teeth. They may also be used to restore fractured or damaged teeth. When a patient complains of a toothache, the dentist does a thorough examination to look for cavities and cracks. They do this by physically inspecting the tooth as well as using X-rays. If the dentist determines that the tooth requires a filling, they will proceed to repair the tooth.

After numbing the teeth, the dentist will use a dental drill to remove any decaying dental tissue in the inner tooth. They will next use water to clean the tooth before sealing it with a dental filling. The patient can choose their preferred filling with the dentist's assistance. Fillings may be made of gold, silver, porcelain, or dental resin. Dental fillings are the most common general dentistry procedure due to the prevalence of tooth decay.

Dental crowns

Dental crowns are used to restore teeth that have been severely damaged due to disease or trauma. Crowns are the only dental restorations that can save damaged teeth from being extracted. They are also used to cover up aesthetic issues. Since most crowns must be manufactured in a dental laboratory, the process usually takes two dentist visits to complete.

However, some dental offices have the equipment to manufacture the crowns themselves, allowing a patient to have a dental crown put in a single day. Crowns restore oral health by fully covering the teeth and shielding them from infection or injury.

Teeth extraction

The dentist will extract a decaying tooth if the damage is too severe to be salvaged. When an impacted tooth fails to erupt through the gum, the dentist will extract it. The dentist will also remove a problematic and uncomfortable wisdom tooth.

If the affected tooth is above the gum line, the dentist will take it out by releasing it from its bone socket. A minor surgical procedure is required to remove a tooth that is creating problems beneath the gums.

Dental implants

Dental implants are perhaps the best and most lasting method to restore missing teeth. Dental implants involve placing the implant into the patient's jawbone. The installation of dental implants provides the patient with permanent prosthetic teeth, despite taking a few months and many operations to accomplish. Crowns and dentures supported by implants function similarly to natural teeth.