The overriding goal of every professional dentist is to see their patients maintain their natural teeth for as long as they possibly can. Of course, teeth don’t last forever, being subject to the natural wear, tear, and decay that come with time. They still strive to promote oral health and hygiene, which is the surest way to keep us all smiling and looking great while at it. To this end, dentists have a wide arsenal of tools and techniques at their disposal. Our Ellicott City dentistry services are fully up to speed with the latest developments in the field of dentistry. It’s a fact that the vast array of procedures at our disposal makes it possible to improve the condition and appearance of a patient’s teeth – whatever their age may be. Ranging from whitening procedures that are surprisingly powerful nowadays to cutting-edge dental implants, our clients are more or less spoilt for choice.

Let’s take a closer look at just what you may hope to find during your next visit to help you achieve the smile you’ve always known you have in you.

General and Cosmetic Procedures available at Ellicott City Dentistry

• Oral Examination and Cleaning

To start, every visit to the dentist will begin with a thorough examination. This is to establish the extent of any damage or underlying issues that may be present so that the end result will be as impressive and long-lasting as it possibly can. Once this is established, the decision may then be made to proceed with any one of the various suitable dental interventions available to you. These include:

• Dental Implants

This is probably the most long-lasting tooth replacement solution you can have performed on you today. The technology behind the procedure has grown to the point that implants are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth, all besides eliminating the need for too much maintenance on your part.

• Tooth Fillings

For teeth that have developed cavities as they undergo the process of decay, an effective method of arresting the decaying process is through the use of tooth fillings—these plug up the cavity, stopping further decay and bacteria buildup.

• Overlays and Inlays

In case the cavities prove to be larger than could be sufficiently dealt with using fillings, inlays and overlays may be the solution.

• Tooth Extractions

In the unfortunate circumstance that a diseased tooth cannot be functionally saved, it will be more prudent to have it removed entirely.

• Cosmetic Bonding

This is a procedure carried out to fix relatively minor cracks or chips on your tooth surfaces. You may think of it as applying filler to a crack in a wall, although the material used here is much more durable than that.

• Oral Cancer Checks

When it comes to cancer of any kind in the body, not just in the mouth, early detection is vital if one is to hope for a positive outcome. The various types of diseases that the mouth region is prone to may be detected and hopefully treated before they grow to unmanageable extents.

• Veneers

Porcelain veneers are effective tools in the repair of chipped or cracked teeth, especially where the damaged area is somewhat large. It is also useful in the reshaping of teeth.

• Removable Dentures

Here, the patient will receive a full set of pearly whites that they can remove at will for cleaning or comfort.

• TMD Solutions

Should you experience any pain in your jaws while chewing or biting down, you might require TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) treatment.

How Often Should You Pay Your Dentist a Visit?

Unfortunately, most of us will only visit our dentists when something is undeniably wrong. This is the wrong way of doing things. What we need to keep in mind is that regular dentist visits may eventually save us considerable expense down the road. Aside from potentially helping us keep our pearly whites intact for longer than those who only have their teeth looked at when the damage is already done. In this day and age, dentists have the tools and techniques to work wonders for us, if only we would give them a chance.

Do your part in keeping your smile bright – try to visit your dentist at least once a year, even more often if you’ve had dental problems before.