What is general dentistry?
The field of general dentistry deals with the sustainable conservation of the health of teeth and gums and is a crucial driver of a person's overall health. On the spectrum of dental medicine, general dentistry encompasses several subordinate areas, such as oral healthcare, orthodontics, and prevention. General...
The field of general dentistry deals with the sustainable conservation of the health of teeth and gums and is a crucial driver of a person's overall health. On the spectrum of dental medicine, general dentistry encompasses several subordinate areas, such as oral healthcare, orthodontics, and prevention. General dentistry encompasses check-up visits with the dentist that involve the consistent monitoring of the health status of teeth and gums as well as functional assessments of a patient's jaws. The most important sub-specialties in general dentistry besides tooth conservation are the treatment of receding gums, dental surgery, orthodontics, artificial tooth replacements, and prevention.
The main goals of general dentistry are early recognition, treatment, and the preservation of a functioning periodontium in an aesthetically pleasing state. Also crucial is optimal prevention of healthy gums and teeth which are firmly anchored in the jaw bone of a patient. A dentist, who focuses on general dentistry, is the main pillar of support for patients for virtually every kind of dental problem and offers a helping hand from the time when the first milk tooth emerges until no more teeth remain and the patient needs to resort to dental implants or dentures.
Which procedures fall into the field of general dentistry?
As already mentioned, the field of general dentistry encompasses a broad spectrum of dental procedures, starting with prevention and conservation and ranging up to complex restoration procedures focused on saving diseased and weakened teeth. Some of the most frequently performed dental procedures in the field of general dentistry include the following:
Dental fillings (with amalgam or composite)
Different types of permanent tooth replacements (e.g., Crowns, Bridges, Implants)
Different types of dental prosthetics (e.g., partial dentures, total dentures)
Pain therapy in cases of chronic toothache
Preventative Measures for children, adolescents, and adults
Identification and treatment of tooth decay
Root canal
Tooth extractions, including wisdom teeth
How does a dental procedure take its course?
For dental consultation and routine check-up visits, the first thing the dentist does is to assess the status of the patient's teeth to quickly identify obvious issues and then performs a functional analysis of the patient's jaws. Should the dentist identify a problem, he then informs the patient about it and discusses possible treatment options. Once the optimal treatment option that fits the patient's needs is identified, the dentist starts the treatment and only uses high-quality equipment and materials to achieve the best possible treatment outcome. The goal is to send the patient home with healthy, fully functional, and pain-free teeth and jaws after the completion of the procedure.
Why is general dentistry so important?
General dentistry is enormously important because it significantly contributes to the quality of life of a patient. For example, if a patient experiences pain when chewing due to tooth decay or other oral diseases, it is usually too late and he or she has to undergo a potentially lengthy and painful treatment to solve the issue. This is not only time consuming but also uncomfortably for the patient. As a result, everyone should take general dentistry very seriously and plan for dental check-up visits with a dentist at least once every 6 months.
An increasing number of dentists also recommend regular professional tooth cleanings which, in combination with everyday dental care at home, removes most, if not all, dental plaques from the surface areas of a patient's teeth. Therefore, it is always a good idea to ask a general dentist for a structured dental prevention and care program for more information.