General and cosmetic dentists provide similar procedures, including teeth whitening, veneers, and other dental restorations. But can general dentists perform cosmetic dentistry? Are they qualified to provide restorative treatments? Today, we’ll explore how both cosmetic and general dentists provide their services, their differences, and what you should consider when visiting your dentist for cosmetic treatment.
In short, yes, because the training required to perform restorations is part of every dentist’s education. All dentists can help you decide on the proper cosmetic treatment and perform it efficiently. But despite this, there are some significant differences between cosmetic and general dentists:
These dentists have different focuses on dentistry, and both are invaluable to dentistry. Many specialties offer services to help patients receive customized, personalized care based on their specific needs. While both can perform teeth whitening procedures, they will perform those procedures based on their knowledge and experience, meaning it’s essential to find the dentist you need most according to what they can provide. This means all cosmetic procedures, such as crowns and implants, often depend on the dentist’s experience, the patient’s requirements, and the overall standards of care set by their education.
All restorative procedures have a cosmetic element because patients always seek to have a healthy smile and a beautiful one. If you’re faced with advanced problems that prevent your general dentist from treating your teeth, a cosmetic dentist can provide a wide selection of cosmetic treatments to improve your smile’s appearance. However, your general dentist will be able to perform all the necessary restorative treatments to keep your smile healthy. Most importantly, schedule an appointment for a routine exam!
If you want cosmetic dental treatments in Granbury, TX, come to St. Clair Dental PLLC! Dr. Maureen Karl and her team can provide comprehensive dental care services for all her patients at our practice. To learn more about your options for cosmetic treatments, receive a dental checkup, or get referred to a specialist, call (817) 910-2880 to schedule an appointment.
Even though we all wish things would stay the same every day, that is regrettably different from how life is. Things shift every day and occasionally several times in a single 24-hour period. But as we age, our bodies undergo alterations that may occur more gradually. But that doesn’t make them any less significant. Your dentist wants you to know that while men and women go through various phases and changes throughout their lifetimes, women’s hormonal changes can impact general and oral health.
Women and men go through almost the same stages of life. While men don’t go through menopause, they still age like anyone else. The stages in a woman’s life can present many dental health concerns:
When it comes to oral health, men and women are very comparable. For instance, they share the same structure, gum tissue, and tooth count. Men and women do, however, have slightly different oral health, which is caused by biological and societal factors. Women are more likely than men to visit the dentist, while men are more likely to acquire gum disease and oral cancer.
Being a woman is challenging enough without constantly worrying about dental visits. The staff at St. Clair Dental PLLC can help you with your concerns. Call Dr. Maureen Karl at (817) 910-2880 to schedule an appointment today!
For most people, orofacial pain is a common, everyday experience, and most go through it without treatment. Many people don’t know what causes their orofacial pain and often go through it without understanding what causes it. Some people, in particular, may face a condition called trigeminal neuralgia, an orofacial condition that causes severe, electrically shocking pain. It’s considered one of the most painful oral conditions known today and challenging to treat. However, it’s essential to know that orofacial pain can be treated, and through working with your local oral surgeons, they can provide oral surgery options to help treat it and give you pain relief.
Orofacial pain can be dull and throbbing, sharp and stabbing, burning and lingering, or a combination of those symptoms. Some people face compounded symptoms such as headaches, jaw clicking, and muscle soreness alongside their orofacial pain. Orofacial pain may be caused by a variety of conditions, including:
Some people face a condition called trigeminal neuralgia, an orofacial condition that’s caused by the malfunction of the fifth cranial nerve. Depending on the location of that nerve damage, shocking electric pain can occur along the teeth, gums, jawline, cheeks, side nose, and forehead. As an excruciating condition, it can occur at random intervals and be challenging to treat, depending on what causes it.
However, many oral surgeons can provide effective oral surgery treatments to help treat orofacial conditions. Some of these surgical treatment options include:
As dentists who care about their patients throughout our community, Dr. Maureen Karl and her team work to provide comprehensive dental care in Granbury, TX, through affordable dental care treatment plans. For more information about whether or not to get oral surgery for orofacial pain, speak to our dentists today by calling (817) 910-2880.
Receiving a dental restoration can be one of the best and most cost-effective ways to care for your health. But what exactly is considered a dental restoration? How do dental restorations work? How do dentists provide dental restorations? At St. Clair Dental PLLC, we can provide a basic introduction to dental restorations, how they work, and how they can improve your smile.
Dental restorations are treatment methods used to repair or improve teeth. Restorations work to improve your oral health and function by using various medical techniques to correct damage, remove decay, and improve your smile’s appearance. Restorations can be used for multiple purposes, and because of how flexible these treatments are, dentists have more available to customize their treatments for their patient’s needs.
Dental restorations are classified into two different categories, which include:
Many dentists are qualified to provide dental restorations, but many dentists will often provide these restorations depending on the patient’s goals. For instance, cosmetic dentists will often provide dental restorations that are more aesthetic-focused. In contrast, other dentists, such as endodontists or orthodontists, can provide restorations that are intrinsically focused on treatment within their expertise.
If you’re having teeth problems, see our dentists at St. Clair Dental PLLC. Our dentists can provide you with many restorative treatments to ensure you have a healthy smile for years to come. Call our practice today to schedule an appointment with our team to learn more!
When most people think about their oral health, they most often think about their teeth. However, our gums are often one of the most neglected parts of our mouths, and when faced with the onset of bacteria, they can be affected by gum disease. Gum disease is a complex disease that’s difficult to treat in its later stages, and when it progresses to periodontal disease, people with this disease will often feel like they’re facing a life-long battle with their gums. We’re here to help you with your oral health by giving you the most up-to-date information about gum disease treatment, how often it needs to be done, and what you can do now to protect your gums from periodontal disease.
Gum disease occurs in three stages of development, and your treatment depends on your current stage. These stages include:
Because of the severity of this disease and how it progresses, your gum disease treatment will depend on your gum disease stage. If you’re faced with periodontitis, you will most likely need regular maintenance cleanings, about four times a year, to help clean out signs of deep pockets and prevent bacteria growth. For early periodontal disease and plaque buildup, the number of cleanings and treatments you get will depend on your condition and how well your oral hygiene is maintained to see successful results.
If you’re having trouble maintaining good oral hygiene, then our team at St. Clair Dental PLLC can help. Through our caring, compassionate team of dentists, we can help clean your teeth and protect your mouth from the effects of gum disease and give you excellent resources for treatment options. For more information, make sure to schedule an appointment with St. Clair Dental PLLC by calling us or scheduling an appointment online.
Patients have various dentists to choose from for their oral health – endodontists, prosthodontists, orthodontists, and even oral surgeons. However, most specialties work to treat more complex conditions. Oral surgeons are considered a valuable asset in dentistry due to the specifics of their field. Choosing between a general dentist or oral surgeon for your concern can be challenging when it comes to your treatment. That’s why we’re here to help you decide if seeing an oral surgeon is best for you!
Oral surgeons and general dentists are both irreplaceable in dentistry – just like many other specialties, these two groups of dentists focus on different aspects of your care to improve your oral health. However, they both makeup parts of what’s considered complete dental care, as each person’s oral health is unique. When it comes to these two dentists, they’re vastly different in many ways, including:
Oral surgeons provide valuable experience and treatment for patients everywhere, like endodontists, periodontists, and pediatric dentists. All of these specialties make up the whole that is dentistry, and by learning about them, you can find what you need and care for your teeth easily.
Always talk with a dentist first, especially if you are experiencing issues that are impacting your oral health. If you want to learn more about what treatments will work best for you, speak with an oral surgeon or contact your primary dentist for more information.
Malocclusion, also known as misaligned teeth, is a vast oral health problem that affects between 39% and 93% of children and adolescents yearly. One of the best methods orthodontists have for treating this problem is with braces. However, these devices can be uncomfortable and painful, especially for those getting used to their first braces. For those new to wearing braces, we have some tips to help ease the transition and ensure that your teeth are healthy and aligned.
Symptoms such as mild tenderness, puffiness, and sensitivity are expected during the first few weeks of adjustment. For children and adolescents, it takes work to get comfortable wearing their braces. This occurs because the archwires and brackets used to straighten the teeth can irritate the gums and mouth, causing discomfort and swelling. But there are options for treating these symptoms, and we recommend the following:
These approaches are common ways to treat pain experienced from braces, but in more severe cases where the braces cause bleeding, chipped enamel, and excruciating pain, seeking immediate attention from your orthodontist or dentist is the best course of action. Always check your symptoms because it could indicate that the braces are not placed on correctly or some other problem with treatment that needs to be addressed. It is also important to know that certain foods, poor hydration, and poor brushing habits can lead to mouth irritation, so always brush your teeth, floss regularly, and have a healthy diet to keep your teeth healthy.
By contacting your dentist, they will be able to identify the causes of your discomfort and suggest methods and treatment options for reducing your pain and helping you gain the most out of your orthodontic treatment. In the meantime, schedule an appointment with your primary dentist to learn more about braces, how to take care of your teeth, and other factors that go into your dental care.
Many dentistry devices are considered essential, and for cosmetic dentists, their tools of the trade are their lifeline. Cosmetic and restorative dentists need the right tools to create a seamless, enjoyable visit for their patients. Through the list of tools below, cosmetic dentists can provide their patients with excellent care.
While most dental products you may be familiar with are toothbrushes and toothpaste, dentists work with loads of tools and equipment manufactured by famous brands to give patients the treatments they need for healthy teeth. Treatments such as implants, crowns, veneers, and even dentures rely on the aesthetic skill of the dentist, but the other half of the equation works with the technology they use in today’s offices to give you a smile you want most. Some of the tools your dentists will rely on to help create your smile include:
These pieces of equipment are just a few that your dentist relies on to deliver excellent oral health care. Each of these machines serves a different purpose but is known and respected by the dental community.
Creating a beautiful dental restoration requires that your dentist has the right tools on hand for the job. Using state-of-the-art equipment is one of the most important aspects of your dentist’s ability to create beautiful restorations. Dentists are experts in the forms of oral health care equipment and products available today. They research and deeply understand the value of these products and how effective they truly are for your smile. If you want to experience quality restorative dental care, consult with your provider during your next visit, and they’ll be able to refer you to a cosmetic or restorative dentist that you and your family can rely on.
During the pandemic, access to care has been challenging across the board. No more so than dentistry, with the requirements for masks and the risk of becoming afflicted, access to dentistry became uncommon. While this has been less true in recent months, access to dentistry is still sparse in many places due to their rural location. Due to the debt that dentists have compiled over the years, rural areas are less cost-effective at aiding an orthodontist’s income due to the small populace.
Whether you’re worried about aligning your teeth or just getting some crowns in place, needing a dental professional who knows what they’re doing is vital. However, due to the location of some areas, they don’t have access to the same amount of resources that a large city might.
Whether dealing with a pandemic or living in a low-income area, access to orthodontic care is vital for everyone. With the introduction of telecommunication into the orthodontic field, those in low-income areas or those too ill to make a trip to the office can easily access their orthodontist through the internet.
With many notable benefits to the community, teledentistry creates avenues of access to those who desperately need it but have little to no access to an orthodontist. It provides flexibility in communications, scheduling, and pricing, enabling low-income families to afford the care they once had limited access to. Here are some of the ways that teledentistry can aid dental patients!
With each year, more clinics across the board are adopting teledental treatments for patients. Reaching out to your orthodontist to gain information about their services is an excellent way to ensure you have all available options in times of need. With teledentistry, you no longer have to worry about inconvenient appointments or costly trips that would have otherwise needed to be canceled or rescheduled to a more convenient date and time that works for you.
Having a family means having the best dental care possible. When having children, it can be challenging to discern whether to choose a general dentist, family dentist, or pediatric dentist for your family’s dental care. As your family grows, we’re here to explain the differences between these specialties, how they impact your dental care, and which type would work best for you.
Every dentist can provide good quality dental care, but each dentist will have their focus or specialty to help treat all sorts of ailments and conditions. Specialists like cosmetic dentists will focus on a general desire or concept around their dental care. In contrast, others, such as endodontists, will focus on treatments tailored to specific areas of the tooth.
Understanding which type of dentists will suit your family’s needs is the key to choosing the right pediatric, family, or general dentist for life. Each type presented here will have its core principles on preventative care, treatment models, and diagnostic testing, and finding which one will work best for you will help you determine what care you need the most.
Your specialist should be chosen based on your needs as a person, as a parent, and as a family. All choices presented here can be attractive solutions, but it all depends on the factors in your life for choosing your form of care. If you’d like to learn more about what forms of care will suit your family best, make sure to schedule an appointment with a general, family, or pediatric dentist today to learn more about your options.
