“General dentistry” is a term used to describe the services offered by a general dentist. At Smile Now Dental Studio, these procedures include primary preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental care. In other words, general dentistry treats various diseases and conditions that affect the mouth and teeth and provides dental services that improve the smile's appearance.
Some Conditions Addressed by General Dentistry
Toothaches
One might experience a toothache for several reasons, but the most common causes are cavities and gum disease. Other reasons your teeth and gums might hurt include injury, broken or cracked teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, and a sinus issue. It is essential to report tooth pain to our dentist immediately so they can assess the problem and recommend an appropriate treatment.
Bruxism
If you experience regular or frequent grinding, our dentist may suggest a special mouthguard called a night guard to protect your teeth from the damage inflicted by bruxism. Wearing the appliance at night can help prevent you from unconsciously clenching your jaw when sleeping. Night guards are also helpful for people who grind their teeth during the day because of stress.
Dental Anxiety
Many patients feel nervous or scared about visiting the dentist for a checkup or procedure. It’s common to have fear and worry before an appointment, but it’s important not to let those feelings get in the way of necessary dental care! We understand that fear of the dentist can be a severe issue, so we take extra measures to make our patients feel comfortable and relaxed at our office.
Some General Dentistry Services
Dental Cleanings & Exams
These procedures are usually recommended to be done once every six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup, tooth decay, gum disease, and potential tooth loss. During these visits, our dentist examines your teeth for signs of damage and other issues that need to be treated immediately, such as cavities or infections. They will also perform an oral cancer screening.
Our dentist will also remove built-up plaque using special tools, polish the teeth to remove superficial stains and provide you with personalized oral hygiene tips to help them maintain healthy teeth and gums between their next appointment.
Emergency Dental Care
A dental emergency is an unexpected condition requiring urgent care from a dental professional within a short time. Because dental issues can worsen quickly, these situations can’t wait and should be treated immediately. It is essential to keep your smile healthy and prevent problems from happening in the first place. However, accidents happen, and unexpected complications can arise that require immediate care. When this happens, you will want to contact our emergency dentist immediately for treatment.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning procedure that cleans the teeth and gums down to the roots. Our hygienist will use special tools to remove buildup, plaque, and tartar. Then they will smooth the tooth roots to discourage the further buildup of bacteria. This helps to keep your gums healthy and prevent gum disease. Scaling and root planing are standard treatments for people who suffer from gum disease.
Sensitive Teeth Treatment
Various treatments are available for tooth sensitivity, including desensitizing toothpaste, fluoride varnishes, or bonding and resin applied to the teeth. Sensitivity can also be caused by exposed root surfaces, in which case our dentist may recommend gum graft surgery to cover and protect the roots. For advanced cases of sensitivity, root canal therapy may be necessary to eliminate any infections. The best way to relieve your discomfort is to schedule an appointment with our dentist to discuss treatment options.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
The most popular treatment option is continuous positive airway pressure therapy or CPAP. This uses pressurized air to keep the airways open during sleep. Another popular option is oral appliance therapy which uses mouthguard-like devices to hold the lower jaw forward and prevent the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat from collapsing into the airways. Surgical options are also available to treat more severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea. However, these are usually a last resort for when other treatments fail to relieve the patient.
Tooth Extraction
A tooth extraction is the removal of the tooth from the socket in the bone, usually due to severe decay or infection. When a tooth has been severely compromised by decay, the structural integrity of the tooth is weakened to the point where the tooth cannot be restored. Infection may also develop if the decay is not addressed promptly. Additionally, tooth extraction may be necessary when a patient suffers from advanced gum disease and cannot receive the treatment required to save their teeth.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Unfortunately, most people do not have adequate space for these molars to erupt into proper alignment, which can cause impaction and additional oral health problems. When there is not enough room in your mouth for wisdom teeth to erupt correctly, they can cause pain when they push against your other teeth. They may damage your adjacent teeth by trapping food between them and causing tooth decay. They can also cause overcrowding of your other teeth as they try to find room to come in, which leads to crooked teeth and bite problems. If your dentist discovers a problem with your wisdom teeth during your routine checkup, they may recommend tooth removal.
Patients can consider visiting Smile Now Dental Studio at 950 E Colorado Blvd SUITE 201, Pasadena, CA 91106, or call (626) 797-3451 to learn more about our dental services and how they are unique from other practices in the area.
