General Dentistry

As mentioned before, the first step in a typical general dentistry appointment includes a thorough dental examination. You will have your teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue checked during this visit. Your dentist will indicate further treatment if necessary or a professional cleaning if dental plaque or tartar has been accumulated between appointments.

Dentists do their best to avoid dental extractions, but they are simply inevitable on some occasions. Sometimes teeth are too affected by decay or have lost too much structure due to dental trauma to be successfully restored. Extractions are amongst the most common general dentistry services, and although some complex cases might require the skilful hands of an oral surgeon, most procedures can be successfully performed by our general dentists.

Fillings are by far one of the most common dental treatments. During this procedure, dentists remove dental decay and replace the lost tissue with a biocompatible material, typically a tooth-coloured composite resin or a silver amalgam. Dentists recreate the exact anatomy of the affected tooth, and if the filling is made of composite resins, they also select a colour that perfectly matches the rest of your smile. Once the filling is ready, the affected tooth recovers its strength, function and aesthetics.

Teeth bonding is a modern cosmetic procedure that hides common dental imperfections like chips, cracks, alterations in size or shape, and mild teeth crowding. It consists of adding a thin layer of composite resin to the front of the affected teeth – similar to a veneer, but without removing natural enamel. This treatment is highly conservative, so it’s the perfect option for those patients that want a cosmetic enhancement without affecting natural teeth.

Root canal treatments are a complex restorative procedure typically indicated whenever the dental pulp, the inner soft tissue that keeps teeth alive, is affected. It’s considered the last attempt to save a tooth before considering its extraction. When teeth are largely affected by decay or dental trauma, and bacteria invade the pulp, the dentist needs to extirpate this soft tissue to get rid of the infection and prevent further damage. The empty canals are sealed with a biocompatible material, and the tooth is restored with a filling or a dental crown to recover aesthetics and function.

Crown and bridges are a good alternative for those patients with missing or largely affected teeth. Crowns cover the remaining structure of a damaged tooth, strengthening its structure and preventing further inconveniences. They are typically indicated for restorative purposes, but dentists can also choose this treatment for a cosmetic enhancement. Bridges, on the other hand, replace one or more adjacent missing teeth. This treatment option is a suitable alternative when implants are out of budget or for patients that feel reluctant to undergo a surgical procedure.

Partial and complete dentures are an affordable and convenient alternative to replace multiple missing teeth. In essence, they are pretty similar: both dentures are removable and entirely acrylic (although some partial dentures can be made of a metal framework). The main difference is that, while complete dentures replace all teeth in a dental arch, partial dentures are only indicated when the patient still has some healthy teeth. These teeth are used for support and retention, so partial dentures are usually more comfortable than complete ones.

As the name implies, these smile makeovers involve reconstructing or replacing all teeth in a patient’s mouth. They are suitable for patients that have suffered severe trauma, infections or disease in the oral cavity. This type of treatment is particularly complex and takes time and a lot of cooperation from patients, but it can undoubtedly transform lives!