Dental Exams & Teeth Cleaning Maplewood
At Maplewood Dental Associates we prioritize your oral health by providing comprehensive general dental treatment in Maplewood, MN. Our team of experienced dental professionals commits to offering top-tier care in a comfortable and welcoming environment.
We're dedicated to helping you achieve excellence in oral health by providing a wide variety of dental services. Because we offer such an extensive list of treatment options, we don’t need to refer you to any other specialists; for your convenience, you can just visit us for all your dentistry needs, such as dental exams and teeth cleaning in Maplewood, MN.
What Does a General Dentist Do?
A general dentist is your primary care dental provider, responsible for diagnosing, treating, and managing your oral health needs. Our general dental treatment in Maplewood, MN, covers a wide range of services:
1. Preventive Services - These services aim to prevent oral diseases before they become serious. Regular examinations, including X-rays, teeth cleaning, and diet and oral hygiene guidance, are part of our preventive services.
2. Restorative Services - Our dentists ensure prompt treatment when a problem is detected. Restorative dental services can be as simple as filling a minor cavity or as complex as root canal treatment.
3. Cosmetic Procedures - A beautiful smile contributes to your confidence. We offer cosmetic dentistry services, from teeth whitening to smile makeovers with veneers.
4. Overall Health Concerns - Your oral health reflects your overall well-being. Our team can detect conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some kinds of cancer early through regular dental check-ups.
In addition to these services, Maplewood Dental Associates also offers a variety of specialized treatments, emphasizing our commitment to being the sole solution for all your dental needs.
Dental Examination
Our general dentists will carefully evaluate your gums and teeth for any possible issues during your check-up. Then, our dentists will recommend treatment options if you show tooth decay or other problems. The dentists may provide oral hygiene suggestions to help you care for your teeth to the best of your ability.
Routine Teeth Cleanings
One of our dental hygienists will remove plaque from your teeth during regular teeth cleaning. They will focus on hard-to-reach areas, such as under the gums and between teeth. After that, we will clean your teeth and apply fluoride to protect them. You should schedule a routine dental cleaning with us twice a year.
Fillings
Fillings are a restorative material that can be used to replace damaged or decayed tooth structures. There are a few different types of filling materials:
- Silver Amalgam Restorations – Silver used historically the most common filling material when it came to restorations, however, silver fillings don’t generally have the same aesthetic appeal to patients as its alternatives.
- Composite (White) Restorations – These fillings are tooth-colored, stronger, long-lasting, and more aesthetically pleasing. They can even be custom-colored to perfectly match the color of the patient’s teeth. These fillings bond directly to the tooth and strengthen it by restoring most of its original shape.
Crowns
A crown is a custom-made covering that fits over an original tooth. They are used when the original tooth is damaged, decayed, or cracked. Crowns can be made out from a variety of different materials, which can include porcelain, gold, acrylic resin, or a mixture. The process for receiving a crown generally includes the following these steps:
- First, the tooth is numbed to remove the decay in or around it.
- The tooth is then re-sculptured to provide an optimal fit for the crown.
- A physical or digital impression is made of the teeth in order to create the custom crown.
- A temporary crown is created from acrylic resin and fitted to the tooth while the custom crown is made.
- After the custom crown is complete, the temporary crown is removed and the custom-made crown is fitted onto the tooth.
- If the crown has the proper look and fit, it will be cemented into place.
Modern technology has reduced the amount of time needed to create strong and natural-looking crowns. With proper care, crowns can last a lifetime!
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device used to fill a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent teeth from shifting, fix bite problems, or ensure the strength and integrity of the surrounding teeth's strength and integrity. Here are a few different types of bridges we can utilize depending on the patient’s needs:
- Fixed Bridge – This is the most popular bridge. It consists of a filler tooth attached to two crowns that hold the bridge in place.
- Maryland Bridge – This is commonly used to replace missing front teeth. Tooth-colored metal bands are used and bonded to surrounding teeth.
- Cantilever Bridge – This bridge uses two crowned teeth that are positioned next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth.
Root Canals
A root canal extracts decayed tissue from inside a tooth, reshapes the canal, and replaces it with strengthened filler. Some reasons root canal treatment may be necessary include dental injuries, severe tooth decay, or inflammation in the tooth pulp.
When these problems are left untreated, they can cause severe damage to the tooth structure. Dentists can usually treat root canals in one visit, though they may require an additional appointment for more extensive cases.
Tooth Extractions
A tooth extraction is the complete removal of a tooth. Extractions may be necessary in the following circumstances:
- A primary (baby) tooth is preventing the eruption of a permanent tooth.
- The patient has gum disease.
- Extensive tooth decay or trauma prevents repairing or restoring the tooth.
- The tooth has an impaction. Wisdom teeth are the last to come out and might not have enough space to grow properly.
We will perform the extraction surgically or non-surgically, depending on the case. The team uses anesthesia to ensure patient comfort throughout the procedure.
Schedule Your Maplewood Dental Exams & Teeth Cleaning Today
If you need any general dental treatment in Maplewood, we encourage you to fill out our online appointment request form to schedule an appointment with us. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. We hope to see you soon!