General Dentistry

General dentistry covers the visits you make to keep your mouth healthy over time, along with the care you need when something goes wrong. Most of what we do here is preventive, but urgent situations don’t get scheduled weeks out.

Routine visits and preventive care

Dental exams are the foundation. We check for cavities, evaluate your gum tissue, look at your bite, and screen for anything that needs attention before it becomes a bigger problem. We recommend exams every six months for most patients, though some people need to come in more often depending on their history.

Dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar that your toothbrush can’t fully reach, particularly along the gumline and between teeth. Cleanings and exams usually happen at the same appointment.

Dental x-rays let us see what’s happening between and inside teeth, and beneath the gumline. We don’t take them at every visit, only when there’s clinical reason to.

Fluoride treatment strengthens enamel and reduces the risk of decay. We offer it for adults as well as children.

Dental sealants are thin coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth. They fill in the grooves where bacteria tend to collect. We recommend them most often for kids, but adults without existing decay or fillings in those teeth can benefit too.

Periodontal therapy addresses gum disease. If your gums are inflamed, bleeding regularly, or pulling away from your teeth, that’s a sign of bacterial buildup below the gumline that a standard cleaning won’t fully address. Periodontal therapy goes deeper and may involve multiple appointments.

When something comes up

Dental fillings restore teeth that have cavities. We use tooth-colored composite resin rather than metal amalgam for most restorations.

Dental emergencies don’t follow a schedule. If you’re in pain, have a broken tooth, or knocked something loose, call us. We make room for urgent situations.

Oral sedation is available for patients who find dental visits stressful. It involves taking a prescribed medication before your appointment so you’re more relaxed, though still conscious and able to respond. We go over the details at a consult before scheduling anything with sedation.

Tooth extractions are done when a tooth can’t be saved. We try to avoid extractions, but when they’re the right call, we do them here rather than sending you somewhere else for a routine removal.