General dentistry can help you maintain good oral health and protect your smile from major complications down the road. Which is why we want to help you start 2024 with a brighter and healthier smile. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI, dentist talks about general dentistry.
Schedule Your First Checkup and Cleaning
Checkups and cleanings are a major component of general dentistry, as they are a chance for us to get to know your smile and to examine it with advanced imaging systems, such as digital x-rays and intraoral cameras. Once we do, our team will be able identify issues that need attention and create a personalized treatment plan. When you attend these visits every six months, then we can catch problems early, often before you experience discomfort, and then offer care to restore your smile to optimal oral health.
In the same visit, we will also conduct a dental cleaning. The cleaning procedure is one that enables us to do what brushing and flossing alone cannot, removing all plaque and tartar buildup from the teeth. Doing so helps prevent teeth stains and bad breath, and also fights tooth decay and gum disease.
Treating TMJ Disorder and Bruxism
Our team can also use general dentistry to treat issues that occur when your jaw joints become strained and stressed. TMJ disorder means your jaw joints have been strained, and this could eventually cause issues opening and closing your mouth. With bruxism, you grind and clench your teeth at night on a regular basis, so you risk wearing down tooth enamel and even cracking or chipping the teeth. These can be caused by issues like high stress levels, tooth loss, dental misalignment, or issues with the growth and development of your jaw and oral structures. You could experience headaches, migraines, jaw pain, earaches, and neck and shoulder pain, as well as toothaches and tooth sensitivity. But we can help with a custom oral appliance, which repositions the jaw to ease stress and strain, and is easy to wear, clean, and store.
Metal-Free Dental Care
Our team takes a holistic approach to dental care, which means when possible we don’t use metal in our restorations. A metal-free approach also means no exposure to mercury, and that the materials that don’t change shape with time and temperature, risking further infection or decay. These are also safe for patients of all ages! Our metal-free treatments include fillings, which are made from composite resin instead of amalgam. The material is biocompatible and bonds with the tooth, so it can last for years to come. The material can also be shaded to blend with your tooth and offer a lifelike appearance. In addition to general dentistry, we can use the same materials in our cosmetic treatments as part of a bonding treatment, repairing damage and masking cosmetic imperfections.
Our team can also create crowns from metal-free materials like ceramic, which can endure bite forces and pressures, but also be shaded to blend with your smile. For the side and rear teeth, which endure greater bite forces, we could use zirconia, which is metal free and can also be shaded to blend with your smile too. Ceramic can also be used to create dental bridges and address tooth loss, or to restore a single tooth dental implant.
Botox® Injections
Did you know that we offer Botox® injections? If you suffer from strain and tension in your smile related to TMJ disorder and bruxism, then we can administer this to facial muscles to interrupt signals and ease tension and stress. This causes you to enjoy relief from TMD and reduce symptoms, avoiding further discomfort. The injections can be administered as part of your checkup visit, as the results tend to last four to six months on average. In addition to easing stress and strain in your smile, we can use them to offer a more attractive appearance, diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in your face so you have a more youthful appearance.
If you have any questions about our approach to general dentistry, or if you would like to schedule your fit visit of 2024, then please reach out to our team today. We want to help you and your family enjoy optimal oral health in 2024 and beyond, and that starts with a simple general visit for a checkup and cleaning.
Schedule a Visit to General Dentistry
We want to help your smile stay healthy and strong for years to come with our general dental procedures and minimally invasive treatment options. Learn more about maintaining good oral health with our team today at Lake Orion Family Dentistry at (248)693-6213!
