General Dentistry: Why You Should Visit a Dentist Today
General dentistry is a form of dental care where practitioners provide a variety of services. Patients who see a general dentist receive preventative services to help maintain good oral health and prevent disease or damage. In addition to preventive services, general dentistry also includes restorative services and cosmetic services.
Dental health is essential to a patient's overall health. General dentists may recognize different health concerns that may manifest symptoms in the mouth.
Reasons to visit a general dentist
Some patients wait until they experience pain or can see visual damage before seeing a dentist. When patients see dentists regularly, the dentists can keep the teeth clean and healthy before worse issues develop.
Gum disease prevention
Gum disease occurs when the mouth's gum tissue becomes eroded. This can happen due to tartar buildup and an infection called gingivitis. As gingivitis progresses, the tissue that attaches to gums begins to break down. Gum disease causes bleeding of the gums. It can also cause the bone to break down, leading to loose teeth. Dentists can catch the development of gum disease and create a treatment plan geared to slow the process or to keep patients from developing gum disease at all.
Cavity prevention
Regardless of whether patients brush or floss daily, they may miss areas of the mouth. Plaque builds up and solidifies to become tartar. Without dental tools, tartar is difficult to remove. Without removal, tartar can erode teeth and lead to the development of cavities. Unfortunately, cavities do not always have many symptoms when developing. Patients may experience a slight ache once the decay forms. Routine cleanings to remove plaque and tartar are a part of general dentistry.
Cancer detection
Without regular dentist appointments, oral cancer is difficult to diagnose. Without a diagnosis, cancer can grow and spread, becoming life-threatening quickly. When detected early, however, oral cancer is treatable. Dentists have the training to recognize the symptoms of oral cancer. When patients have checkups every six months, there is a high likelihood the dentist will catch any red flags.
Oral health diagnoses
When it comes to a patient's oral health, there are a lot of issues that may not be apparent without an X-ray. Types of problems only X-rays can reveal include:
- Impacted teeth
- Jawbone damage
- Cysts
- Bone decay
Some destructive diseases have few to no symptoms. Without an X-ray, a patient may suffer extensive damage before recognizing the problem.
Bad habit identification
Most people have habits that may harm their teeth. Practices that may have adverse outcomes include teeth grinding, jaw clenching, too-hard toothbrushing, and eating hard candy or sweets. General dentists can identify any damage caused by bad habits. In addition to determining what may contribute to a patient's oral health, dentists may be able to fix the damage already done. When patients know the cause of their tooth problems, it may be easier to quit the habits.
Conclusion
Regular dental checkups can prevent disease and damage to the teeth. In general dentistry, practitioners provide preventative, restorative, and cosmetic procedures to patients.
Request an appointment here: https://www.baydentalfl.com or call Bay Dental Associates: Aaron Moneyhan DMD, PA at (727) 823-2007 for an appointment in our St Petersburg office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: General Dentist in St Petersburg, FL.
Recent Posts
General dentistry focuses on routine oral health care for patients of all ages. This includes oral maintenance such as cleanings and examinations, as well as general treatments and preventive care. Preventive care often gets overlooked as it relates to general dentistry, however, it plays a key role in oral health. Keep reading to learn more…
Cavities are a common oral health concern that dentists can treat with restorative dentistry. While common, leaving cavities untreated for an extended amount of time can lead to severe complications, including tooth infection, dental abscess, deep tooth decay, and the loss of teeth.The good news is that treating dental cavities is relatively easy for dentists…
Bad breath, or halitosis, is a condition that no one wants to have. Despite brushing and flossing every day, bad breath happens to everyone at times. Luckily, there are several ways you can improve your halitosis. If simple methods do not work, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor to find out if it…
A dental cleaning is an essential part of maintaining good oral health because it removes buildups of plaque and tartar. Additionally, they keep the teeth and gums appearing healthy and strong. Routine dental cleanings are typically done in a general dentistry setting because general dentists are the main point of contact for ensuring good dental…