General & Cosmetic Dentistry

General dentistry pertains to the health and maintenance of your teeth and gums. Cleanings, repairs, disease prevention, and more are all parts of what we call 'General Dentistry'. General dentistry is what will help maintain your teeth and gums so that your smile is the best it can be.

The goal of general dentistry is to remove all disease from your mouth and repair your teeth - giving you the freedom to enjoy one of life's favorite pleasures -- eating your favorite foods! Although some disease may be painful, like a cavity in your tooth, "gum disease" is usually not painful and can lead to unexpected loss of your teeth. Through regular checkups, dental cleanings, removal of dental decay, and showing your proper home health care, we can eliminate disease from your mouth to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy for life.

Cosmetic dentistry includes a variety of dental treatments aimed at improving the appearance of the teeth. The purpose of cosmetic dentistry is to improve the appearance of the teeth using bleaching, bonding, veneers, reshaping, orthodontics, or implants.

Bleaching is done to lighten teeth that are stained or discolored. It entails the use of a bleaching solution applied by a dentist or a gel in a tray that fits over the teeth used at home under a dentist's supervision. Bonding involves applying tooth-colored plastic putty, called composite resin, to the surface of chipped or broken teeth. This resin is also used to fill cavities in front teeth (giving a more natural-looking result) and to fill gaps between teeth. Veneers are thin, porcelain shells that cover the front of the teeth. They can improve the appearance of damaged, discolored, misshapen, or misaligned teeth. Reshaping involves the removal of enamel from a misshapen tooth so that it matches other teeth. Orthodontics uses braces to correct the position of crowded or misaligned teeth. Implants are artificial teeth which are attached directly to the jaw to replace missing teeth.