General Dentist: Role, Common Procedures, and More

Numerous Americans enjoy brilliant oral health today and are actually keeping their natural teeth maintained throughout their lives. However, this isn’t the case for all. Cavities, even today, are among the most widespread chronic diseases of infancy.

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Majority of the people have a misconception that they only need to visit their dentist if they have any form of toothache or they feel like something else might be wrong. And in doing so, they really do miss out on the bigger picture. Dental visits require the patient to be examined for his oral health by his Dentist In North Hollywood who must be capable of identifying and handling conditions which can range from typical to really complex ones.

Role of a General Dentist:

Basically, a general dentist is the primary dental care provider. The role of a general dentist is that he identifies, cures, and manages one’s general oral health care needs. These needs include root canals, gum care, crowns, fillings, bridges, veneers, and preventive education as well. A good dentist in maple ridge will have plenty of experience across the board with these type of solutions.

All the general dentists who are successfully practicing their dentistry have begum doing so after having earned either a DMD or a DDS degree, that is, doctor of dental medicine and doctor of dental surgery, respectively. 

The two degrees don’t really have any differences between them or even the program needs that must be met with by the dentists. Some of the dentistry schools just award one degree, whereas the others often award the other one. 

In order to begin practicing as a general dentist, three or more years of undergraduate education in addition to four years of dental school are generally required. On the other hand, in order to begin practicing as a dental specialist, additional further postgraduate training is required as well.

Common Procedures:

Following are the common procedures generally handled by dentists:

Bonding is a traditional method which is carried out for the repair of slightly chiseled, stained or crooked teeth. During this procedure, a white filling is applied onto the tooth with the aim of improving its appearance. Such a filling actually “bonds” with the tooth and since this is available in various different tooth-colored shades, it matches the look of the patient’s natural teeth closely.

The process of tooth bonding is often even used for tooth fillings rather than silver amalgam. Patients often prefer bonded fillings because the white color it gives is not as prominent as is the silver. These bonded fillings can be used to be applied on both the front and back teeth. This depends on the extent of decay and on the location.

This procedure is economical as compared to the other cosmetic treatments and it is often completed in a single visit. But one must note that bonding can still result in staining and might be broken easily as compared to the other cosmetic treatments which include porcelain veneers.

2. Bridges:

The process of bridging is basically used for the replacement of any missing teeth, assistance in maintaining the shape of one’s face, and the alleviation of the stress on their bite. It basically substitutes the missing teeth with artificial ones in such a way that it looks amazing and quite literally even bridges the gaps which may have had one or more teeth. 

The bridge can be made out of various materials such as alloys, gold, porcelain or even a mixture of all of these.  However, the success of the bridging procedure really depends on its substance such as the gums, surrounding teeth, or even the bone to which the bridge is attached.

3. Dentures:

A denture is the replacement of teeth which is removable and also very natural looking. Two types of dentures exist, that is, partial and full. Partial dentures are the ones that are connected to a frame made of metal which is further connected to one’s natural teeth, and in such a way they fulfill the purpose of filling in the spaces from where any permanent teeth have been removed. Whereas, full dentures are used when all natural teeth have been extracted. Dentures also require proper care just like your natural teeth.

The role of a general dentist is extremely important. People must make it a habit to visit their dentists not only when they feel some kind of toothache or another issue, but they should make it a point to visit their dentists regularly for the identification of any underlying problems that may bring about any complications in the future.