How Can the General Dentistry Help You?
With general dentistry is uniquely oriented towards preventing diseases would it not be the one healthcare provider you see most often than any other? Many people are visiting their general dentist for diagnostic or preventive measures. General dentistry emphasizes on oral health and hygiene with general dentists helping people to avoid the development and progression of oral diseases. When left untreated these conditions are eventually painful and result in lost time at school or work costing approximately billions of dollars to the economy every year.
General dentists are the providers of general dental health to people of all ages. During a regular visit to your family dentist, you will have a meticulous analysis of your teeth, gums, and other formations, professional cleaning and also discuss your dental and general oral health. If the exam reveals the presence of tooth decay you may be required to have a filling on the affected tooth. These procedures are quite common but are not the only services provided by general dentistry.
What Is the Role of General Dentists?
Approximately 143,000 dentists are practicing in North America with 80 percent providing services as general dentists. They are prepared to provide a wide array of services unlike specialists that only focus on a particular aspect of dental practice. Some of the services provided by general dentists include:
Preventive Services
Preventive services can help to maintain general oral health in good condition by stopping any disease before it affects your mouth. Regular exams including diagnostic services such as x-rays and professional teeth cleaning are extremely important for prevention. Your general dentist may provide you with detailed instructions on how to improve your at-home oral hygiene while also recommending preventive treatments like dental sealants if needed. If you are leading an active lifestyle you may even be provided with a custom-made mouthguard by general dentistry.
Restorative Services
Your dentist will ensure you get prompt and appropriate treatment if any problems are discovered in your mouth. Perhaps the most common and effective restoration service involves removing tooth decay and filling the affected tooth. However, that is not the only restorative service provided by general dentists. They can offer you a dental home where you can visit whenever you need prompt treatment for dental trauma which could the in the form of a knocked-out tooth, and any other problems. The ability to diagnose and treat many causes of tooth pain or periodontal disease is also available with general dentists. They can offer you treatments for missing teeth, help you to get fitted with dentures, place crowns or bridgework along with some advanced treatments like root canal therapy, dental implants, and orthodontics.
Overall Health Concerns
In many cases, your oral health is viewed as a mirror of your general health. Dental problems of certain types could be reflecting issues in other parts of the body. An untreated oral infection can lead to an increased incidence of cardiovascular conditions as well as complications during pregnancy. Professionals in general dentistry are trained to identify these issues and offer appropriate treatment or refer the patient to another physician if required. An area of special concern is obstructive sleep apnea which can be a concerning condition that can sometimes be managed with an oral appliance. Offering nutritional counseling, advice on tobacco cessation, and general health and wellness is also a job general dentist is experienced in.
Everyone Can Benefit from General Dentistry
General dentistry can help every individual that has a dental issue. These professionals are qualified and experienced to manage all kinds of problems and even offer cosmetic procedures if demanded by their patients. The kind of cosmetic procedures offered includes teeth whitening, cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers, and many others that are increasingly being sought after by many people. Establishing contact with a general dentistry clinic such as Kids First Dental Colombia in Colombia, SC can give people access to a comprehensive range of services from dental professionals that are fully capable of managing all problems related to the field of dentistry. Just because some professionals have specialized in a particular field of dentistry such as orthodontics, endodontics, and others it cannot be assumed that general dentistry is no longer valuable. Every dental professionals working in this field begins learning to be a general dentist before preferring to specialize in a particular field to provide just a single variety of services.