General Dentistry

What is General Dentistry?

General dentistry is the cornerstone of good oral and physical health. It involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various dental conditions. It also involves the maintenance of patients’ overall oral health. This comprehensive care 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. It starts with a visual and radiographic examination of the teeth.

Teeth are strong and durable structures that endure massive amounts of pressure each day. It is important to protect them and keep them strong through daily brushing and flossing. Everyone should get regular professional care from a licensed and experienced general dentist.

Why is General Dentistry So Important?

Teeth provide a means of chewing food so that it can be properly digested. The incisors (front teeth) are designed for biting into food and the molars (back teeth) are designed to do the chewing. Many people are only concerned about the front teeth for their looks and are quick to have bad back teeth removed. This is a recipe for future disaster. The back teeth are large and have multiple roots. The front teeth have a single root. Front teeth were not designed for chewing. When back teeth are lost, excessive pressure is placed on the front teeth and they will be prematurely lost. As teeth are lost, there are changes in the bones of the jaws. They shrink. As they shrink, there is loss of facial height. This leads to inefficiency of the muscles for chewing and also gives an older facial appearance. If you want to maintain a healthy digestive system and a more youthful appearance, you’ll try to save all your teeth. If you have lost some or all of them, dental implants may provide a reliable means to restore proper function and appearance.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection of the bone and tissue that support your teeth. It is the major cause of tooth loss in adults. Periodontal disease is usually painless and you may not know you have it. Periodontal disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth. Warning signs that can indicate periodontal disease:

• • Bleeding gums
  • Red, swollen, tender gums
  • Gum tissue recession
  • Persistent bad breath or bad taste
  • Teeth that are loose or moving
  • Any change in your bite

Risk Factors For Developing Periodontal Disease

 

Factors that increase the risk of developing gum disease include the following:

• • Poor home care Smoking or chewing tobacco
  • Genetic
  • Crooked teeth that are hard to keep clean
  • Pregnancy
  • Diabetes
  • Dry mouth
  • Medications, including steroids, certain types of anti-epilepsy drugs, cancer therapy drugs, some calcium channel blockers, and oral contraceptives

Creating Your Customized Dental Hygiene Plan

Your Melbourne, Florida dentist, Dr. Clark Brown, will work with you to create a customized dental hygiene plan which includes dental examination, tooth cleaning, X-ray, tooth scaling (if needed), and use of other diagnostic equipment to prevent, discover or treat problems as early as possible.

Dr. Brown incorporates a variety of restorative procedures in the development of a comprehensive dental treatment plan that will assist prevention of tooth decay or disease of the teeth, mouth, gums, and tongue. We also use restorative dentistry procedures to repair the effects of tooth decay, trauma, defects or diseases in these areas of the mouth.

General Dentistry Services

At Implant Dentistry of Florida, we offer a variety of dental services. These include:

• Teeth Cleanings (prophylaxis)
• Composite restorations (white fillings)
• Crowns and fixed bridges
• Dentures and partial dentures
• Root canal therapy
• Extractions
• Night guards and sports guards
• Bonding
• Dental implants
• Laser Dentistry
• CEREC 3-D

Teeth Cleanings

One of the most important things that we can do for you at our office is a teeth cleaning. When you come to our office for your 6 month cleaning, we will thoroughly remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. Our goal is to not only clean your teeth, but to also prevent cavities and gum disease.

White Fillings

We use tooth-colored or composite fillings to fill cavities or old metal fillings. These fillings are a mixture of resin, glass or quartz and porcelain ceramics. White fillings are long lasting and are colored to match the patient’s teeth.

Crowns & Bridges

Dental bridges are porcelain prostheses used to replace a missing teeth or a series of teeth. The dental crowns are used to strenghten any compromised teeth. Crowns also provide the anchors on the end of each dental bridge.

Dentures & Partial Dentures

Dentures are customized fixtures used to replace missing teeth. They are removable prosthetics that look and feel like natural teeth. We also offer partial dentures for those only missing a few teeth.

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal is a very common treatment performed to treat problems within the tooth’s soft core (dental pulp). When the pulp is diseased, root canal therapy is done toclean and seal the tooth to prevent further damage.

Tooth Extractions

Dr. Brown and Dr. Vaughn perform tooth extractions if there is disease, overcrowding or trauma. We also may remove your tooth in preparation for braces, or if they are your wisdom teeth.

Why should wisdom teeth be removed?

Many times, there is not enough room in your mouth to accommodate the proper positioning of wisdom teeth. These teeth are usually tipped forward. As the forn, they can push on the teeth in front of them. This can cause crowding of the lower front teeth. More drastically, they can lead to decay on the second molars which can result in the loss of not only the wisdom tooth, but the second molar as well. A simple radiograph can determine if the wisdom teeth can cause future problems. If so, it should be removed early.

Night Guards/Sports Guards

Mouth guards are customized devices that are worn over the teeth to protect them from injury. These can include guards to wear at night while you sleep to prevent grinding and also guards for athletes playing contact sports.

Dental Bonding

Tooth bonding is a treatment we perform to restore, reshape and rejuvenate teeth. The dental bonding material is similar to those of white fillings. We use bonding material for chipped, broken, or misshapen teeth.

Dental Implants

Dr. Clark Brown specializes in implant dentistry, or dental implants. Dental implants are artificial teeth used to replace a missing tooth. We consider dental implants as the best solution to missing teeth since they are integrated into the current structure of your bone.

Laser Dentistry

At Implant Dentistry of Florida, we perform a variety of dental procedures using laser technology. Using lasers allows us to perform treatments with precisions, few complications, and little pain.

CEREC 3-D

In our office, we use the CEREC system, which allows us to create dental restorations in just one day. Crowns and bridges can be custom made in one visit and eliminates the need for temporary prosthetics and multiple visits.

Schedule a Consultation

For more information on general dentistry treatments at Implant Dentistry of Florida, call (321) 372-7700 to schedule a consultation. Our practice serves Melbourne, Florida and surrounding areas.