Avoiding Dental Issues

Regular visits to a dental professional are key to preserving your oral health. At each visit, your dentist can identify early signs of tooth decay, oral cancer, and other conditions that could lead to significant damage if left untreated. They can provide preventative care, treatment for emerging issues, and tips for effective teeth cleaning.

Reviving a Decayed Tooth

Tooth loss can be a distressing event, yet it’s preventable with regular dental checkups. Sometimes, signs of decay or gum disease are ignored until severe damage occurs, necessitating tooth extraction. However, general dentistry services like fillings and root canals can salvage a decayed tooth, allowing you to retain the functionality of your natural teeth.

Enhancing Oral Health

The goal of general dentistry is to ensure patients have a healthy mouth by offering treatments that maintain the health of teeth and gums. Your dentist might also suggest specific dental products or share tips on improving your dental hygiene practices.

Boosting Tooth Functionality

Dental issues such as tooth loss, decay, and gum inflammation can make eating, chewing, and oral hygiene challenging. General dentistry seeks to prevent these problems through services like routine checkups and professional cleanings. Treatments for conditions like gingivitis and gum disease can manage infection and inflammation, improving your smile and the overall functionality of your teeth.

Evaluating Your Oral Health

Before conducting an in-depth examination of your oral health, your dentist will need details about any existing medical conditions, ongoing treatments, and medications you’re taking to prevent any treatment-related complications.

The examination will include a visual inspection of your teeth, gums, and tongue to identify any early signs of infection or damage. If you haven’t been examined recently, dental x-rays might be required to assess the structure of your teeth and the jawbone beneath the jawline.

Professional Dental Cleaning

During your visit, you may receive a professional cleaning, also known as scaling and cleaning, which eliminates accumulated plaque, food particles, and tartar. Your dentist might employ specialised tools to thoroughly clean between your teeth and gums. Should they spot early indicators of gum disease, a more intensive dental cleaning may be recommended or scheduled for a future visit.

Scheduling Follow-up Visits

Maintaining oral health is best achieved through regular dental checkups, typically suggested every six months, though your dentist’s guidance may vary. If a potential dental issue is discovered during a checkup, your dentist will prioritise the most urgent needs and advise on the frequency of treatments needed between visits.

Root canal treatment becomes necessary when the tooth pulp, the soft inner part of the tooth, is inflamed due to bacterial invasion leading to infection. This inflammation often results from untreated cavities or cracks in the tooth. The procedure aims to save the pulp from further damage, potentially preventing permanent tooth damage or loss.

Indicators that root canal therapy might be needed include:

• Intense or Persistent Toothache: The pain might be so severe that it interferes with eating or speaking. Discomfort may extend to the face, jaw, or nearby teeth.
• Tooth Sensitivity: Experiencing pain from hot drinks or cold foods, such as ice cream, that lasts more than a few seconds could signal the need for a root canal. Persistent sensitivity suggests underlying dental issues that shouldn’t be overlooked.
• Gum Swelling: Infection may cause pus to accumulate around the tooth, leading to tender, swollen gums.
• Discoloration of the Tooth: An infected pulp may cause the tooth to darken to a greyish-black color, indicating damage to the internal tissues and roots from trauma.
• Cracks or Chips in the Tooth: Visible roughness, cracks, or chips in a tooth can allow bacteria to penetrate and infect the dental pulp.
• Looseness of the Tooth: The accumulation of pus from an infection can weaken the bone anchoring the tooth, making it loose.

Pain Under Pressure: If applying pressure to or touching the tooth causes pain, it’s a sign of severe damage, possibly necessitating root canal treatment.

• Neglecting Oral Hygiene: Plaque, a sticky layer of bacteria, forms on your teeth if you don’t brush them adequately. If food particles are left between your teeth and gums, they can eventually form plaque.
• Existing Gingivitis: Gingivitis, characterized by gum irritation, redness, and swelling, can progress into more serious conditions like periodontal disease if not properly managed, potentially leading to tooth loss.
• Tartar Buildup: Plaque that isn’t removed can harden into tartar at the gumline, where the bacteria can irritate the gums.
• Medications: Certain medications can reduce saliva flow, posing a risk to your teeth and gums by making them more susceptible to disease.
• Lifestyle Choices: Engaging in behaviors such as smoking or using tobacco products significantly increases the risk of gum disease and other oral health issues.

The dental staff will ensure your comfort and safety prior to the extraction of your tooth. The choice of anesthesia by your dentist will vary based on how complicated your extraction is, with local anesthesia commonly used to numb the site.

Using specialised dental instruments, your dentist will delicately loosen and then precisely remove your tooth from its socket. In situations where the tooth is either broken or extensively decayed, an incision along the gum line may be necessary for access. The tooth might then be sectioned into pieces for an easier removal process.

After the extraction, the site will be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized by the dental team. In certain scenarios, your dentist might recommend a dental bone graft to avert any bone loss. Stitches will then be applied to the extraction area to aid in the healing process.