4 Common General Dentistry Treatments

Patients who schedule routine general dentistry visits understand that maintaining a healthy mouth is critical to overall health. Therefore, although teeth cleaning may occur at regular dental appointments, patients also visit general dentists for other treatments.

What is a general dentist?

A general dentist is a primary dental care provider responsible for helping patients maintain healthy mouths by providing preventative and restorative services. These dentists also educate patients about home care techniques.

What common treatments do general dentists offer?

Visiting a general dentist can prevent or stall the progression of various dental problems. However, patients can also obtain these four common treatments from a general dentist.

1. Fillings

Dental fillings are among the most common restoration procedures patients can receive at a general dentistry office. Dentists fill teeth to treat various conditions, including:

• Cavities due to decay
• Cracks and chips following trauma
• Erosion from tooth grinding

A dentist may fill a patient's tooth using silver amalgam, porcelain, gold, or resin, depending upon a tooth's location and function or the appearance a patient desires. Dentists can perform tooth filling procedures in a single visit.

2. Extractions

A patient can have a tooth extraction at a general dentistry office if the entire tooth is above the gumline. For example, a dentist may pull a tooth when an infection causes an abscess, overcrowding compromises adjacent teeth, trauma leads to severe damage, or gum disease causes decay. A dentist can perform a simple tooth extraction using various instruments to expand the tooth socket, detach the tooth from the periodontal ligaments, and draw the tooth out of the socket. Simple tooth extractions take between 20 and 40 minutes.

3. Crowns

Dentists recommend crowns to support bridges, reinforce weak teeth, or improve a smile's appearance. Crowns may consist entirely of porcelain, metal, resin, stainless steel, or porcelain with metal, and various factors determine the appropriate material. For example, resin crowns are cost-effective but fragile, making them suitable for front teeth not necessary for rigorous chewing. Gold crowns have a prominent appearance and are ideal for invisible back teeth if patients are willing to pay a higher price for them.

4. Bridges

Patients can receive dental bridges at a general dentistry office. Bridges of prosthetic teeth consisting of porcelain, metal alloys, and gold, fill the empty spaces missing teeth leave behind. Crowns cover the natural teeth on either side of the vacancy and provide a stable base where the dentist mounts the bridge. A dentist must ensure that a crown does not protrude beyond the tooth line by drilling away portions of the natural tooth beneath it. A general dentist may recommend a bridge to promote effective chewing, restore a patient's face shape and smile, or prevent natural teeth from shifting toward the open space.