Improve Your Oral Health Today
A healthy smile can be a great source of confidence and pride but can also keep your overall health protected. Keeping your mouth clean is essential to protecting you from health issues like periodontal disease, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers. This is what makes general dentistry so critical to your oral health.
If you’re a resident of Canton, Plymouth, Southfield, Franklin, Beverly Hills, or the surrounding areas throughout Michigan looking to keep your smile healthy and beautiful, Dr. Shlafer can help. Our comprehensive general dentistry services can keep your smile and overall wellness well-protected.
What is General Dentistry?
General dentistry is the branch of dental care devoted to improving the health of your natural smile. While many patients often focus on major cosmetic and restorative procedures, general dentistry treatments are just as important for the continued health of your smile. These treatments work to ensure that your mouth remains free of plaque and infection so that your natural teeth remain strong and healthy for a lifetime.
We’re proud to offer top-quality dental care in a relaxed and comfortable environment for our patients. Some of our general dental treatments include:
Complete Checkups
If you want to maintain a healthy smile, it’s essential that you visit the dentist at least twice a year for routine checkups. These visits allow us to remove bacteria from parts of your mouth that are hard to reach, guarding you against tooth decay.
It’s also a great opportunity to check for any potential health issues, such as indications of oral cancer or gum disease.
Mouth guards
If you play contact sports, mouth guards are a great way to protect your teeth from serious injury. Our mouthguards are custom-made to fit your teeth perfectly so they won’t bother you during your game or practice.
We also offer night guards for patients who clench or grind their teeth overnight. Without treatment, this can lead to damaged teeth, headaches, and jaw pain.
Root Canal Treatment
If the pulp layer of your tooth becomes infected, this can cause your teeth to feel extreme sensitivity and possibly lead to the loss of your tooth. Thankfully, we can treat your infection with a root canal procedure. This procedure saves your natural tooth, sealing your tooth root for protection and preventing the spread of infection.
Tooth Extractions
Sometimes, the only way to treat a tooth is to remove it. This is often the case if your tooth is damaged or decayed to the point that it’s threatening your oral health. For cases like these, Dr. Shlafer can perform gentle tooth extractions, prioritizing your comfort at all times.
We also offer wisdom tooth extractions. For the majority of patients, wisdom teeth don’t erupt properly in the gum line and often become impacted. To prevent pain and other complications to your health, we’ll remove your impacted wisdom teeth with minimal pain and discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even if you have good oral hygiene habits, you still need to visit a general dentist to keep your smile healthy and long-lasting. Not only are there hard-to-reach areas in your mouth that only a professional can reach, but there are also some conditions that may not be visibly obvious to the untrained eye. That’s why it’s recommended that you visit a dentist at least twice a year for your continued health and preventative treatment.
During a regular dental visit, Dr. Shlafer will clean your teeth, ensuring they’re healthy and free of decay. He’ll also perform a noninvasive examination which consists of X-rays and an oral cancer screening. This helps us catch any potential oral health concerns before they become serious, potentially saving you from costly dental procedures down the line.
While some patients who have sensitive teeth may experience discomfort, a dental cleaning should be a quick and pain-free process for most patients. If you find yourself experiencing pain during the examination, this can be a sign of an oral health issue and you should let Dr. Shlafer know so he can assess the problem.
