General & Family Dentistry
Your teeth are strong, durable structures that must withstand massive amounts of pressure each day. It is important to protect your teeth and keep them strong through daily brushing and regular professional care from a licensed and experienced general dentist.
General dentistry involves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a wide range of dental conditions for patients of all ages, as well as the maintenance of overall oral health. This comprehensive care from a general dentist is usually the only source of care patients require for their dental needs. There are several different dental specialties, but general dentistry encompasses the basics of these specialties.
You can prevent dental conditions by seeing your dentist on a regular basis. Regular visits to the dentist are recommended at least once every six months in order to maintain proper oral hygiene and screen for any potential problems. Receiving regular checkups can help improve your dental health and prevent major problems from developing. These checkups involve full mouth cleaning as well.
A dental checkup appointment may also include X-rays to provide your doctor with full, detailed images of your teeth that can help detect early signs of decay or disease. These images can be viewed together by the doctor and patient in order to determine any potential problems and decide upon the best treatment options. Digital X-rays are becoming more and more common and produce immediate images that can be easily managed.
Some of the common services included in general dentistry are:
Many dental conditions damage the tooth and cause aesthetic and functional changes that require special treatment. These services can repair or replace teeth depending on the extent of their damage. Restorative dental procedures include fillings, dental crowns and bridges, porcelain veneers, dental implants, dental bonding, dentures and root canals.
Many people seek cosmetic dental care after certain dental conditions or because of an overall dissatisfaction with the appearance of their teeth. These procedures can improve the color, shape and size of your teeth and enhance your overall smile as well. Cosmetic dental treatments often improve self-confidence as well as patients are now able to face the world with a healthy, beautiful smile. Some of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments include teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, bonding and full mouth reconstruction.
Gum Disease Treatment
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a common dental condition that plagues many patients. Gum disease can be managed through treatments such as scaling and root planing, charting and practicing thorough, proper home care. Surgery and other advanced treatments may be performed for later stages of the disease.
While there are specialists for many of these dental treatments, they are also included in general dentistry and can be performed by most dentists. Complicated issues may be referred to a specialist such as a periodontist or prosthodontist, while age-specific issues may benefit from seeing a pediatric or geriatric dentist.
Certain dental procedures require the use of anesthetic aids. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, your doctor may administer a local anesthetic, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or IV sedation. These help minimize pain and discomfort during the procedure and reduce some of the anxiety many patients experience. Although most procedures only require local anesthesia or nitrous oxide, it is important to consider the risks of anesthesia before undergoing the procedure.
It is important for patients to work together with their dentist to maintain their oral health through daily care. General dentistry covers most patients' dental needs regardless of their age or desired treatment. These treatments restore health and beauty to your smile and leave you feeling more confident and comfortable than before, all while maintaining excellent oral health.
X-rays are one of the most common procedures used to diagnose a wide variety of conditions in nearly every area of the body. Although x-rays are usually effective in identifying abnormalities, their method for doing so is somewhat outdated. Despite an increasingly digital world, x-rays still use sheets of film that require processing much like film in a regular camera.
Digital x-rays are performed similarly to conventional x-rays, but use a special imaging detector that "reads" the body part rather than exposing it on film. This is the same technique used for regular digital cameras. Digital x-rays allow for faster results and delivery to other doctors, as the images can be viewed on a computer rather than having to send the actual film. This technique also exposes patients to less radiation, a minor risk involved in conventional x-rays. The speed and safety of digital x-rays make them the preferred type of imaging test and a top-quality service that Dr. Glasser is proud to offer.
An intraoral camera is an advanced diagnostic tool that provides clear, detailed images of the teeth and mouth that a simple mirror examination cannot achieve. These devices have been used since the early 1990s and are now used in up to half of all dental offices because of their many advantages.
This technology can be used to ensure a proper diagnosis, as well as to help patients understand their diagnosis and the benefits of their dentist’s recommended treatment options. The images from an intraoral camera allow dentists to view the teeth at magnified levels and keep a permanent record of the teeth to compare over time, as well as before and after treatment. Photo documentation of the teeth can also help speed up the insurance claim process by providing clear-cut evidence of dental conditions.