A Few of the Most Common Dental Procedures and What to Expect

CD Regular dentist checkup

Unhappy with your smile? Century Dental offers an array of services that can improve your overall oral health. John H. Penny, Jr., DDS & Abdullah M. Allawnha, DDS are some of the best in St. Pete, Pasadena, and other Florida communities. Here are 6 common dental procedures that you should know about.

Regular Check-up and Professional Cleaning

A regular check-up is important to help maintain good oral health. During a check-up, your dentist will:
In most cases, a regular check-up will only take about an hour. Your next appointment and cleaning will be based on your needs.

Extractions

Removing a tooth from its socket in the bone is called extraction. This is perhaps one of the most commonly performed procedures in a dental office. There are several reasons a dentist may perform tooth extraction:
There are two types of extraction, but both will require a local anesthetic. A simple extraction is for a visible tooth that can be easily removed by loosening it. A surgical extraction, on the other hand, is for a tooth that has not broken through yet. The dentist will have to cut the gums to access the tooth and remove it. In most cases, anti-inflammatory drugs are given after the extraction, and patients need to be careful about what they eat or drink to keep the area clean. After care is much more tedious.

Sealants

Regular brushing may not always be enough, especially in hard-to-reach areas in the mouth. It is sometimes difficult for your brush to get in-between the small cracks and grooves on your teeth. If not regularly cleaned, these tiny areas will be prone to decay.

Sealants can be used as extra protection. These plastic resins can bond and harden on your tooth’s surface to make it smooth. This makes brushing a lot easier. Without your tooth’s tiny grooves, you are less likely to have plaque.

Sealants are commonly applied to children’s teeth, but adults can also use them. They can last for 3-5 years if intact. You can always have your tooth re-sealed if necessary.

Fluoride

Fluoride is very effective in preventing plaque. This treatment will only take a few minutes. After which, you will be asked not to rinse, eat, or drink for at least half an hour. This will allow for maximum absorption. Depending on your oral health, your dentist may recommend you to have a fluoride treatment every 3, 6, or 12 months.

Fillings

Part of treating a cavity is the removal of the decayed portion of your tooth. Then, dental fillings, also known as composite resins, are placed into the prepared area. Fillings are also used to fix cracked or broken teeth or those that have been damaged due to misuse like teeth grinding, nail biting, and more. This also keeps your teeth looking natural, hence they are considered part of cosmetic dentistry.

Root Canal

If a bacterial infection has made its way inside your tooth, a root canal procedure may be necessary. If left untreated, this may cause an abscess. There will be pain and swelling and possibly even injury to your jawbones, which is detrimental to your overall health.

This will help control decay and the need for your tooth to be extracted. During the procedure, the dentist will open your tooth, clean out the infected tissue, and fill it with a resin.

CD Adding dental fillings to patient

There are several other procedures that can be done in a dental office.

Most of them fall under cosmetic dentistry like teeth whitening, veneers, crowns, bridges, and more. Call us at Century Dental for more information.