Kids and adults alike need to see our team for general dental care, such as checkups and cleanings. When issues arise, we can offer help with metal-free dental work and even custom bruxism appliances. In today’s blog, Lake Orion Family Dentistry talks about helping smiles of all ages in Lake Orion, MI, with general dentistry. We are ready to help safeguard smiles, and address issues that could threaten them otherwise!
Dental Checkups
A major part of general dentistry is the dental checkup, and we recommend one every six months for our patients. During a routine dental exam, we will look at the teeth, gums, and the interior of the teeth with digital x-rays and an intraoral camera, so we can make a diagnosis with precision and catch issues that could threaten oral health early, often before you develop painful symptoms. For kids and adults, we look for problems like tooth decay and bruxism (teeth grinding). For kids, we want to make sure baby teeth erupt and fall out on schedule. For adults, we examine teeth for gingivitis, gum disease, TMJ disorder, and oral cancer.
For kids, these visits can ease dental anxiety and help children better understand their smile and the importance of routine care, so they may be more likely to continue to seek dental care on their own as adults.
Cleaning Your Teeth
General dentistry provides a way to help prevent serious concerns, and a major part of that process is the dental cleaning, which we offer every six months during your checkup visit. With the dental cleaning, we will use an ultrasonic scaling device to gently and thoroughly remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. We then use a manual tool for any stubborn portions of tartar. Finally, we polish the teeth, which brightens them and also makes it harder for plaque and tartar to cling to the surfaces.
The cleaning helps fight bad breath and teeth stains, and more importantly, it limits the risk of cavities and periodontal disease. Speaking of gum disease, we could offer a deep cleaning to help remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and the exposed roots, so we can manage gum disease with a preventive approach and protect your smile from worsening symptoms and tooth loss!
Bruxism Appliances
If you have bruxism, then you grind and clench your teeth on a nightly basis. This can place enormous pressure on your teeth, wearing them down and cracking/chipping them to increase the risk of tooth decay and infection. Bruxism could be caused by imbalance in your bite, TMJ disorder, misalignment, injury and tooth loss, or even a high level of stress in your daily life. Warning signs could include painful tooth sensitivity, toothaches, aches in the face or jaw, and headaches.
Our team can help with a custom oral appliance. Our bruxism appliances will look and fit like a mouthguard, and are worn while you sleep. General dentistry means we can provide a comfortable way to stop teeth grinding, repositioning your jaw and also placing a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further injury. The oral appliance is easy to use and clean, and it can travel with you if you have a summer trip on the horizon!
Metal-Free Dental Work
If we find out that you need dental work following your exam, then we can help with metal-free dental work. If we find a cavity, we can help all ages with a dental filling, one made from a metal-free and biocompatible composite resin, which we shade to clean with your tooth. If you have a more severe injury or cavity, we could address the issue with a custom crown. We could even replace missing teeth with metal-free dental work using our bridges and porcelain dentures, which can all look natural and blend with your smile, while also handling daily bite forces and pressures.
If you have any questions about how we help smiles of all ages with general dentistry, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to start helping with a checkup and cleaning. Now is a great time to schedule a visit, so kids can see us before they start a new school year next month!
Lake Orion Family Dentistry Helps Your Smile With General Dental Care
Our team wants to help safeguard smiles with checkups and more, so be sure to contact our team today to schedule a visit and begin care! To find out more about general dentistry, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI at (248)693-6213.
