General dentists are the primary dental care provider that diagnose, treat, and manage an individual’s overall health condition. Have a trip to your family dentist in Reedy Creek at Broadford Dental clinic to know more about general dentistry procedures and how it can be life-changing.

General dentistry procedures vary according to what the patient needs. With attention to your dental condition, a diagnosis is essential. The dentist should look into it before deciding what procedure is necessary for you.

General dentists

A general dentist earned either a DDS (doctor of dental surgery) or  DDM (doctor of dental medicine) which allows them to operate in the actual field. Other general dentists have to undergo additional post-graduate training before they can become a dental specialist.

General dentists have a common goal: to help work out your teeth condition, make it last longer, ensure good oral health, and prevent oral health issues from occurring throughout your life. We should give importance to our oral health just as much as the general dentists do. Oral health condition can also affect overall health. Your general dentist will be your first line of defense when it comes to fighting oral health issues. Meeting them every six months let you monitor your oral condition.

Before we proceed with the common procedures a general dentist can perform, let us first list down basic activities that you can expect initially.

1. Your general dentist will evaluate your oral health, including your teeth and gums. They can perform this visually or using other tests applicable.
2. They can also do an x-ray on your teeth. This way, they can see abnormalities existing in your teeth or gums.  These abnormalities can lead to other oral health risks.
3. A general dentist will do the most crucial thing in your visit – professional cleaning. This cleaning will help remove the build-up caused by bacteria that regular brushing or flossing cannot work out.

General dentists can perform minor or major procedures based on your oral health issues. In this case, let us enumerate several general dentistry procedures and discuss their differences.

Differences in general dentistry procedures

Several general dentistry procedures are available. Your dentist will choose a procedure based on your condition and goals for your oral health. Tooth decay is the most common cause of toothache. However, other underlying causes are still possible.

1. Extraction: Some teeth need permanent extraction, especially if it is already severely damaged.
2. Bonding: It allows repair of tooth decay, with a chip, fracture or discolouration.
3. Bridges and implants: These two dental procedures are the best options to restore a missing tooth or multiple numbers of teeth.
4. Crowns and caps: Crowns or caps serve as the cover of a tooth, which has damage due to decay, with stains, broken or misshaped.
5. Dentures: This procedure uses prosthetic devices to replace lost teeth, either partial or full.
6. Dental fillings and repairs: These procedures use restorative materials to repair the teeth with damage due to cavities or trauma. Dental fillings apply on the portion where they removed the tooth decay.
7. Gum surgery: A person will undergo this procedure either because of gingivitis or periodontal disease. Gum surgeries are necessary to reverse the impact of gum diseases.
8. Oral cancer examination: Oral cancer screening is usually one of the tests under dental examination. It is a process wherein the dentist will locate lumps or irregular tissue changes in the neck, head, face or within your mouth.
9. Root canals: It works underneath your teeth. It is suitable for treating diseases or abscessed teeth.
10. Teeth whitening: A professional teeth whitening is better and secured compared to over-the-counter teeth whiteners. However, if you prefer these, ask your dentist about it.
11. Veneers: These are strong, thin porcelain materials bonded to your teeth. It is also an excellent option to repair chippings or stains in the teeth. Dentists will choose which fits the natural colour of your teeth.

When do you need to visit a dentist?

Commonly, people will only visit a dental clinic if they have issues with their teeth. Regular visitation is quite a challenge to most of us—some reason out their busy schedules or perhaps, expenses.

However, people have to understand that it is not only during these cases that they have to visit a dentist. A regular visit to the dentist enhances the application of preventive measures. These preventive measures are acceptable practices to ensure good oral health condition.

During your dental visit, your dentist will be able to detect potential oral health issues that usually start as minor tooth decay. In effect, they can provide you with immediate treatments to prevent it from progressing.

Although we do proper dental care practices, there could be instances that we will miss out on a part of our teeth or mouth. These minor parts may grow out into dental issues. For this reason, it becomes advantageous to visit the dentist regularly. Those minor parts that may not be visible to us are parts that a dentist can quickly recognize once we had them checked.

A thorough dental examination can only happen inside a dental clinic. So, don’t miss out on an appointment and enjoy the benefits that general dentistry can offer you. It would be best if the whole family enjoy these benefits with you.

Take home

Having good oral health condition helps you enjoy life to its fullest. Without being concerned with dental issues, you would be able to do the things you love. Observing proper oral health hygiene matched with a regular visit to your dentist will ensure a long-lasting effect on your teeth.

Through preventive measures, you can keep yourself ending up needing to undergo dental procedures that are way expensive and invasive. It would be best to do preventive actions rather than spend more time returning to a dental clinic. Some procedures do not only take a day to complete. It may take two or more visits before completion.

So, make your choice now. Be wise enough today than regret it later.

Remember:

“A genuine smile comes from the heart, but a healthy smile needs good oral dental care.” -Wayne Chirisa.