Patients of all ages – including children – should receive dental checkups and cleanings at least twice per year. Keeping routinely scheduled appointments is crucial for detecting common oral health conditions and potential issues as soon as possible. As with the other systems of the body, early detection normally means that treatment will be more conservative, effective and budget-friendly. During oral examinations, our dentists will look for signs of disease that might affect the teeth, gums and jawbones. From screening patients for oral cancer to looking for potential gum disease or tooth decay, checkups are incredibly thorough.
Dental cleanings are important for keeping teeth and gums clean and healthy – especially since some patients have difficulty reaching their back teeth when brushing and flossing. Cleanings are a gentle and non-invasive method for preserving and maintaining gum health and cleaning around the teeth so that tartar and plaque accumulation are controlled. Even if you clean your teeth thoroughly, you will still develop tartar that needs to be removed. A form of calcified plaque, tartar cannot be removed by flossing or brushing and must be removed with professional-grade dental instruments through a dental cleaning.
Fluoride Treatment
Tooth enamel is made of minerals, and when exposed to strong acid, its mineral content (and strength) can be stripped away. A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride is scientifically proven to strengthen teeth by attracting minerals to the surface of tooth enamel, which will ultimately help replenish lost mineral content. Strong, healthy tooth enamel is key in protecting teeth against cavity causing bacteria. Fluoride treatments are quick and easy and involve simply applying a fluoridated varnish or gel to the teeth.
Dental Sealants
The tooth will be filled and sealed with a paste or synthetic material, then covered with a temporary filling and sealant.
Space Maintainers
It’s a space-maintainer. It’s a scaffold. The body wants to heal a wound by collapsing it in, so by spackling that hole it fills that space. When we look at things like nerves and sinuses, we don’t want to lose any height on the bone, which could ultimately prevent the patient from getting an implant. So if we spackle that hole and keep the walls where they are, we’ve got a better shot at putting a successful implant in.
Even if patients eat healthy foods, practice good oral hygiene, and receive routine dental care, tooth decay is sometimes unavoidable. When decayed areas are small, they can be treated with a minor, minimally invasive restoration called a filling. This treatment will fill the decayed area of a tooth while protecting it from future damage. If those in need of a filling desire a discreet restoration, they can choose a tooth-colored material called composite resin. This material is made from durable glass and plastic and can be tinted to match the exact coloring of biological teeth. A composite resin filling will not affect the aesthetics of a smile but will provide effective protection against future damage to a tooth.
Veneers
Intrinsic stains, on the other hand, develop from within the tooth as the result of environmental or genetic factors. Medical conditions, certain antibiotics, excessive fluoride, or trauma to the teeth, as well as internal fractures or infected root canals, can all begin to manifest as tooth discoloration. The treatment for an intrinsic stain depends largely on the cause of it. A crown or filling may be sufficient, or a more intensive restorative procedure such as a veneer, dental bonding, or root canal surgery may be necessary.
Crowns
If a tooth falls out, only touch it by the crown (the part you see when you smile) and never by the roots.
Bridges
Dental Bonding
Extrinsic tooth stains are spots that develop when staining elements from dark or acidic foods have penetrated the enamel of the tooth, giving the tooth a yellow, brown, or just generally dull appearance. Extrinsic stains can result from years of smoking or tobacco use, as well as a diet that includes a lot of acidic foods, like red wine, soda, coffee, and tea. These stains can usually be removed through cosmetic dentistry procedures like teeth whitening, dental bonding, or porcelain veneers.
Root canal therapy (also known as endodontic treatment) is a common dental procedure that saves teeth when a filling isn’t enough to get the job done. This procedure has gained an undeserved reputation for being painful and has suffered through a lot of misinformation in recent years. In actuality, root canal therapy has become a painless way to save teeth and keep you smiling for years to come.
Apicoectomy
Root canal failure is very rare, accounting for only about 5% of all root canal procedures. However, if your first root canal treatment is not successful, the tooth can still be saved via endodontic retreatment or an apicoectomy. During retreatment, the previously placed filling material is removed, the canal cleaned again, and the tooth refilled and resealed. An apicoectomy removes the infected tissue by going through the tooth’s root, then seals the root.
Dental deep cleaning, which is the common term for periodontal scaling and root planing, is a procedure used for treating periodontal disease (periodontitis), especially in the early stages. Unlike routine cleanings, which are intended to prevent gum disease, deep cleaning treats gum disease by removing deposits of bacteria from under diseased gum tissue. Treating periodontal disease early is critical to preserving your teeth and preventing major oral health problems like bone and tissue loss, moving or loose teeth, and swelling or infection.
Unlike other parts of your body, teeth are unable to heal themselves, especially once they are infected. If left untreated, infection and inflammation will spread to other tissues, teeth, or even areas of your mouth. A root canal is the only way to preserve a natural tooth because neither cleanings nor fillings adequately remove all of the damaged pulp. The only alternative to a root canal is the extraction of the entire tooth itself. Extractions are considerably more expensive, involved, and time-consuming than a root canal, and carry the added requirement of replacing the removed tooth with an implant, crown, bridge, or partial denture to maintain proper oral function.
While prosthetics such as dental implants, partials, or bridges can restore the function and look of your tooth, saving your existing tooth is more cost-beneficial in the end and is the only option for something that feels like your tooth.
Dental deep cleaning provides a non-surgical alternative to gum surgery for the treatment of periodontitis, especially in the early stages. It reduces gum pocket depths without damaging the teeth or gums themselves and requires no removal of the gum tissue. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, with most patients seeing results after a single treatment and experiencing only minimal—if any—pain or discomfort post-treatment.
Tooth Extractions
Tooth extractions may become necessary for several reasons including severe tooth decay or infection, tooth damage due to breakage, severe gum disease, impacted wisdom teeth, to make space for orthodontic treatment, or during childhood, when baby teeth don’t fall out quickly enough to create space for emerging adult teeth.
Bone Grafting
Bone Grafting FAQ with Dr. George Bohle In today’s world, there are more treatment options than ever when it comes to replacing missing teeth – Read More »
The AAO reports that up to 50% of the population could benefit in some way from orthodontic treatment and recommends parents first bring their child for an orthodontics consultation around age seven (when your child begins to lose their baby teeth and gain their first permanent teeth).
Invisalign Orthodontics
Did you know that you can see what your new smile could look like before you even get started with Invisalign® treatment? It’s true!
Braces
There are many paths to a straight, healthy smile and braces have been an option for getting teeth on track for over a century. However, braces have come a long way in recent years. Gone are the clunky metal brackets and agonizingly slow treatment times, even traditional dental molds are a thing of the past. Today, braces are available to children, teens, and adults – each with their own unique options to fit your level of expression or lifestyle.
New Dental Depot Arlington, Texas Patients receive a FREE pre-filled Whitening tray at checkout. Click here to schedule an appointment.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental Depot provides comprehensive dental services—including cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry services —to patients of all ages. Whether you need to fill a cavity, erase surface stains with professional-grade whitening treatments, or create the smile of your dreams with veneers, we have you covered. A beautiful smile can change your whole outlook on life, and the team at Dental Depot is here and ready to help.
General Dentistry
Tooth extractions are a common general dentistry service. An extraction involves removing an entire tooth, including its roots. Extractions might be necessary if teeth are so badly damaged or diseased that they cannot be repaired, or during childhood, when baby teeth fail to fall out quickly enough to create space for emerging adult teeth.