What General Dentistry Means for You
General dentistry focuses on preserving your oral health, while safeguarding against medical conditions that are linked to poor oral health. Although there are approximately 116,000 dentists in the U.S., a select number of general dentists participate in continuing education classes to be kept up-to-date about he latest in research and technology to protect your oral health for future years. Even fewer dentists continue on with an accreditation process offered by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry to provide services that enhance aesthetics, while maintaining the highest level of functionality.
It is true that general dentistry focuses on preventative and restorative procedures, including:
- Professional dental cleanings, root planing and scaling
- Dental fillings, amalgam and sometimes composite (tooth colored)
- Root canals, excluding those that require an endodontics
- Dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Dentures
However, additional services and the types of technology that the general dentists has to offer, depends upon the dentist. Let’s take a closer look at three advancements in treatments and the number of dentists, who are equipped to provide such treatment, including:
- Less than 2% of all dentists use a laser in dentistry which can provide pain free treatments and can speed up recovery time in many instances.
- Less than 1% offer advanced bio film treatment.
- Approximately 10% of dentists are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, very few dentists are fully accredited members such as Dr. Mark Sweeney.
In fact, general dentists are the quarterbacks who decide when the patient needs to be passed onto a specialist who has more focused experience. For example, complex root canals are usually performed by an endodontist that focuses on complex root canal restorations. A periodontist focuses on gum disease (periodontal disease) and so on. Yet, wouldn’t you like your general dentist to have the knowledge, training, experience and technology that can allow him or her to be the best dentist possible for your treatment. Certainly, you can benefits from advanced technology and experience of your dentist. So, next time you’ve got to go to your dentist. Check out his or her credentials and find out about the technology they use in their office.
If you are interested in general dentistry or cosmetic dentistry, contact Austin Dental Spa.