General Dentistry

The general dentistry field provides a wide array of services for you, depending on your dental condition. Additionally, you do not necessarily have to be facing a problem to consult a general dentist, as dental check-ups are advisable every once in a while. When looking for a general dentist, you want to ensure they are qualified and well-experienced to complete the examination and treatment you need. Further, they should be available to address your questions and provide clarifications.

At the South Coast Dentistry, we offer first-rate general dentistry services to promote excellent dental health. Our team comprises highly skilled and experienced dentists with experience in multiple general dentistry practice areas. Moreover, we ensure that each patient receives customized care and attention until making a full recovery. Therefore, our services are available for patients seeking general dentistry services in Aliso Viejo, California, for the best chance of recovery.

What General Dentistry Services Entail

General dentistry is an amalgamation of many dental services made available by your general dentist. Usually, these services encompass all the treatments necessary to maintain your dental health, and they vary from one patient to the next. The primary difference between general and specialized dentistry is that specialized treatment focuses on specific dental conditions. Thus, you will see a dentist specializing in your condition, meaning it is their primary practice area. On the other hand, a general dentist has experience with multiple dental conditions, and you can consult them on multiple issues. Additionally, many general dentists are well-versed in helping you identify potential dental conditions you are unaware of and recommending a specialist to handle the matter.

Tooth Decay and Cavity Treatment

Doubtless, tooth decay and cavity problems are rampant among dental patients for many reasons. Among them are the heavy consumption of sugary foods and improper dental hygiene practices. Consequently, you are prone to the conditions if you continuously fail to take appropriate steps towards brushing your teeth to eradicate bacteria.

Usually, the condition stems from the increased bacteria on the surface of your teeth. These bacteria rely on the sugar you consume, which is their food source. Upon consuming the sugar, the bacteria will release toxic chemicals that spread across the enamel, causing corrosion.

You are likely first to notice a small black hole on an affected tooth, which is the cavity. After some time, the corrosion spreads and destroys the tooth, resulting in full-blown tooth decay. By this stage, you will begin feeling pain and sensitivity in the affected teeth, resulting in severe discomfort.

As a remedy, your dentist may recommend placing fillings on the cavity or exposed tooth area to avoid further deterioration. However, the dentist can recommend tooth extraction in severe tooth decay cases. Undertaking this process can be necessary if the bacteria has already destroyed a significant part of the tooth, making it non-functional.

The extraction will remedy multiple problems, including the possibility of bacteria spreading to the neighboring teeth. Therefore, you want to remain open to the treatment options that your dentist recommends, provided they offer lasting solutions to the problem.

Bad Breath Treatment

If you suffer from persistent bad breath, you should consider conducting a general dentist who will investigate the matter and offer a treatment solution. There are many causes of chronic bad breath, and they create a persistent condition even when you exercise a consistent brushing routine.

For example, you may suffer from a silent dental infection from extreme bacteria accumulation on the internal parts of your teeth. Consequently, the bacteria will continue releasing foul-smelling chemicals, which may remain undetected if you do not suffer any symptoms.

Alternatively, the smell may be coming from a throat or gum infection that you may have been unable to detect. Thus, your dentist’s input will be important in helping identify the problem and providing a lasting solution.

A suitable form of treatment may be an antibiotic prescription upon identifying the cause of the problem. Alternatively, the dentist may recommend removing the affected area in your tooth or gums, culminating in a different treatment altogether.

Gum Disease Treatment

Gum disease may stem from poor oral hygiene management, whereby bacteria invade your gums through the internal parts of your teeth. Some instances also involve low immunity levels that result in persistent infections, including gum disease. Lack of Vitamin C in the body is also a major attribute of gum disease among many patients, especially children.

Over time, gum disease may affect your comfort and functioning ability because of the pain and discomfort you experience. For example, you may experience swollen gums and subsequent bleeding. Alternatively, your gum tissue may also begin to decompose, warranting urgent dental treatment.

Therefore, you want to seek treatment from your general dentist, who will offer beneficial treatment suggestions for your well-being. For example, they may recommend a gum contour process to reconstruct your gums after removing the affected tissue from your mouth.

After undergoing the procedure, you will need to take pain medication and antibiotics and take care of your stitches to prevent the possibility of reinfection. Your general dentist will guide you through the aftercare and provide valuable tips.

Dental Abscess Removal

A dental abscess is a condition that arises from pus accumulation inside your teeth, specifically in your dentine. It can be painful and causes tooth sensitivity, on top of the harmful possibility of the condition spreading to other teeth.

Dental abscess forms due to accumulated pus in your teeth after your white blood cells attempt to fight harmful bacteria. The pus can harm your dental health because it prevents the tooth from receiving nutrients and other important components due to the blockage of blood vessels.

Subsequently, treatment focuses on removing the pocket of pus, known as the abscess, and cleaning the surrounding area to ensure that no bacteria will remain and spread. After that, the dentist will also introduce a filling to protect the exposed part of your tooth from external factors like extreme heat or cold.

Dental abscess removal should be completed in one session unless you have multiple abscesses in different teeth. If so, the dentist may space out the treatment to give time for the operated tooth to heal before working on the next one.

Tooth Restoration Treatment

Trauma to the teeth is also common, and general dentists often provide tooth restoration treatment if you need it. The service covers any damage to your teeth that causes chipping, cracking, and breakage to help in restoring them.

For example, if you fell and broke your front teeth, you may require a crown or mold fixture to help in tooth reconstruction. Similarly, your dentist may use adhesive agents to bind a cracked tooth and prevent complete breakage, which can cause future complications.

Chipped teeth can also cause discomfort, so your dentist will file the tooth to realign it with the rest of your teeth for better aesthetics. They may also elect to replace the entire tooth if the chipping is uneven and filing is an insufficient remedy.

Overall, tooth restoration treatment is necessary for you after an accident that distorts your standard tooth shape. Although the procedure may be partly for aesthetic purposes, it can also help prevent medical complications like infections, especially after a tooth exposes internal sensitive parts like the nerves and blood vessels.

Teeth Whitening Services

Improving the shade of your teeth is an excellent choice for anyone suffering from tooth discoloration. Your general dentist can provide the service upon consultation, giving you a chance to restore a brilliant white smile.

Usually, teeth whitening procedures are easy and pain-free, as the dentist only focuses on applying the whitening agent to your teeth crowns. Once the bleaching agent activates, you will see the difference, leaving you with an improved teeth shade.

Aftercare Tips that Your General Dentist Provides

After undergoing many of the procedures discussed above, you must follow an aftercare regimen to help you recover smoothly. Therefore, your general dentist must provide helpful information to help you fully recover and avoid complications after invasive treatment.

Your involvement directly contributes to your overall well-being, so you want to observe these guidelines throughout. By doing so, you also reduce the possibility of complications from poor recovery regimens. Important aftercare tips to follow after receiving a general dentistry service include:

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Dental hygiene is vital to your overall dental health, so you always want to uphold it. To do this, you want to remain consistent in brushing your teeth at least twice daily and flossing between the teeth to remove stuck food particles.

Good dental hygiene also involves swirling mouthwash or warm salt water in your mouth for a few seconds after meals. The practice is helpful, especially when you cannot brush your teeth after eating, promoting your hygiene.

Similarly, you want to clean any dental appliances or devices you receive to avoid cross-contamination from the devices to your teeth. For example, if your general dentist prescribes Invisalign or a mouth guard, clean them regularly. You will receive detailed instructions on cleaning the devices to avoid deforming them, as most are made of plastic.

Avoid Sugary Foods

Food and drinks with high sugar content are critical causes of many dental conditions, so you want to avoid them if you can. Sugar provides the bacteria in your mouth with a rich source of nutrients to thrive and reproduce, resulting in continuous contamination.

As the bacteria feed on the sugar in your mouth, it produces harmful chemicals that damage your teeth and subsequently cause issues like cavities and tooth decay. Therefore, you can control the deterioration by avoiding sugary food and drinks, especially after receiving treatment to remedy tooth decay or cavities.

Take All Prescribed Medication

Additionally, you want to take all prescribed medication after a dental procedure to aid your healing process. Your dentist understands the importance of each type of medicine, so failure to comply with their guidelines will jeopardize your chances of a full recovery.

Prescriptions may range from pain medication to antibiotics, depending on the type of condition you receive treatment for. For example, if the dentist removes a dental abscess from your teeth, they can prescribe painkillers and antibiotics to prevent bacteria from spreading on the operated area.

The painkillers will also be instrumental in reducing your discomfort after removing the dental abscess. Similarly, you may receive a saline solution to clean the mouth after an invasive procedure, so you want to use it based on the directives you receive.

If you suffer from any side effects when taking the medication, inform your dentist immediately to help them find alternative medication for you. 

Avoid Tampering With Dental Fixtures Added to Your Teeth

If your treatment procedures involve addicting fillings, dental bridges, or orthodontics on your teeth, you want to avoid tampering with them. Although the fixtures on your teeth may feel different and you may feel compelled to poke at them, you are likely to tamper with them and interfere with treatment.

Nevertheless, you can always head in for a check-up if the fixtures cause severe discomfort and injuries in your mouth. For example, if you cannot speak, chew or rest your mouth comfortably, you want to request a check-up to ensure that the fixtures are well in place. You may need to adjust to the new devices in your mouth, which calls for patience as the treatment progresses.

Attend All Follow-Up Dental Appointments

Lastly, your general dentist may schedule several follow-up appointments to help track your path to recovery. Additionally, these sessions are helpful for the dentist to identify any potential complications you may not have yet perceived.

For example, patients who undergo invasive surgery may develop an infection that only becomes noticeable after a few days or weeks. You may detect the problem too late without a follow-up appointment, resulting in serious complications.

The follow-up sessions also help the dentist track your post-treatment management and correct you in case of any practices that you are not supposed to undertake. For example, if you only brush your teeth at night after a teeth whitening procedure, your dentist will likely tell you because your new shade of teeth may have started fading. If so, they will emphasize the proper guidelines to follow.

The Cost of General Dentistry Services

The service cost is among the many issues to consider before visiting your dentist. Many patients delay or avoid general dentistry treatment because they worry about the accumulated cost. However, the treatment price varies based on your condition and available treatment options.

Further, you should remember that many treatment procedures available under general dentistry services will be covered by insurance. Dental insurance providers avail the medical cover for any condition requiring medical interventions towards regaining your health.

In contrast, dental procedures that fall within the cosmetic category may not be covered, as they are elective medical processes. Consequently, you want to discuss the type of treatment you will receive with your general dentist to understand whether the costs fall within dental coverage.

Nevertheless, you can still make arrangements for an elaborate payment plan as you receive treatment, especially if your dentist recommends starting the treatment soon. By having open negotiations, you have a better chance of reaching amicable agreements that do not impose too much financial pressure on you.

Contact a Dentist Near Me

Once in a while, you may need general dentistry services, especially if you are unsure whether your condition requires specialist attention. Thus, you want to find a trusted general dentist who understands the importance of providing reliable services backed by years of experience. Additionally, your general dentist should help you with aftercare tips to improve your chances of successful recovery.

At South Coast Dentistry, we dedicate our services to helping you recover and maintain your best dental health. Thanks to our highly experienced dental team, you are in good hands when you decide to seek treatment from our clinic. Additionally, you will receive detailed information concerning the type of treatment you are set to receive, making you more comfortable with the processes you will undergo. If you or a loved one requires general dentistry services in Aliso Viejo, California, call us today at 949-274-9086.