General Dentistry

Check-Ups. Cleanings. Fillings. Gum Treatment.

preventative dentistry image General dentistry goes hand in hand with cosmetic dentistry because a healthy mouth and bite is the foundation for a beautiful smile. That is why at Colonial Dental Group we offer a full range of general dentistry care. Once your teeth, gums, and bite are at optimum health, we can go further and enhance your smile’s attractiveness even more.

Basic Tooth and Gum Restoration

Tooth decay is the enemy of a healthy and beautiful smile. We offer two ways to fill cavities:

Porcelain fillings
White composite fillings

Both of these options use a white, durable substance to create a restoration matching your natural tooth color. Porcelain is a hard dental ceramic and we use our CEREC system to do porcelain fillings for you in just one visit. Many other cosmetic dentists require two visits. White composite fillings use a soft, putty-like material that your general dentist will harden with a curing light once it is in place.

Strong, long-living teeth require healthy gums to hold them in place, but gum disease is the next most frequent dental problem after cavities. When daily dental hygiene is inadequate, bacteria build up in the mouth. Their excretions are acidic and not only eat into the tooth enamel, but also destroy gum tissue. You will know when this process has started because your gums will bleed when you brush or floss. We offer complete gum treatment to remove tartar, plaque, decay and bacteria from the entire mouth.

We can also do endodontic work to save a badly-decayed tooth. Endodontics works with the tooth’s interior, including inside the tooth root. In past years, many teeth had to be extracted because of severe decay, but now we can often preserve your tooth and rejuvenate its appearance with a porcelain crown.

Replacing Lost Teeth

When a tooth is lost, whether from decay or an injury, it should be replaced as soon as possible to prevent further problems. A traditional general dentistry solution has been dentures and partials, and these can work very well to restore your full chewing power. They sometimes become less effective as we age, however, because the gums slowly recede. Dentures may not fit so well when we are older. Please see Aging and Teeth for more information.

A sturdy and permanent way to replace teeth is dental implants. An implant is an artificial tooth root embedded in the jawbone and holding a new white tooth.