General Dentistry

General Dentistry

Your biannual dental appointment is a time for you to receive a routine examination and teeth cleaning. At La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics in La Jolla, San Deigo, Dr. Kohani provides thorough dental examinations during every scheduled appointment and initial consultation.

An examination considers the health of your entire dentition as it relates to your wellbeing and involves the removal of plaque, tartar and decay that could cause more significant damage to your teeth and body in the future. Without visiting the dentist regularly, many of the preventable issues that impact your teeth, like periodontal disease, can affect your body, leading to serious health concerns like heart disease and diabetes.

General dentistry does more than clean your teeth, it screens for potential issues and finds the best way to prevent their progression. The goal is to maintain your dental health so that you experience wellness throughout your body for a lifetime. Your examination is a way for Dr. Kohani to locate areas of concern and provide preventative care first and foremost.

General dentistry procedures may include:

  • Ceramic CrownsWhen a tooth weakens, breaks or become susceptible to decay, a ceramic crown may be the most effective way to restore its strength, shape and size. Dr. Kohani uses CEREC technology to fabricate custom crowns that blend naturally with your smile line, improving the overall look and feel of your teeth. A crown is capable to restoring one tooth or mounting to a bridge to replace multiple teeth. Either way, your dentition will be healthier as a result.
  • Periodontal TreatmentBoth gingivitis and periodontitis are serious forms of gum disease that need to be treated before they progress. Many patients experience some form of gum disease in their lives due to the amount of bacteria that accumulates in our mouths at any given time. However, gum disease is completely preventable with proper hygiene tactics. If you have periodontal disease, Dr. Kohani performs a variety of treatments for both mild and severe cases.
  • Root Canal TherapyWhen the pulp within a tooth becomes infected, a root canal is required and the natural tooth needs to be saved. In order to save the tooth, the infected pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned. The pulp is then replaced with a material similar in consistency to rubber. The tooth is capped with a ceramic crown and left to function like a natural tooth. Contrary to popular myth, root canals are not painful procedures and are performed in the most minimally invasive manner possible.
  • Dental CleaningsIt’s essential to visit your dentist every six months for a cleaning and examination. Dr. Kohani approaches all dental cleanings with a holistic mindset and understands that the health of your teeth contributes to your overall wellbeing. When you’re in good oral health, your bodily health benefits as well. To aid in the cleanliness of your smile, Dr. Kohani uses a gentle air abrasion machine to remove surface stains.
  • Dental FillingsCavities are the most common conditions affecting the teeth, and in order to treat them, composite filings (known commonly as tooth-colored fillings) are used as a cosmetically appealing way to remove tooth decay and restore your natural tooth. The composite filling matches your natural tooth enamel, which makes it particularly useful when filling cavities in front-facing teeth.

General dentistry will typically include different preventative procedures for different patients and the best way to determine which procedure is right for you is to consul with Dr. Kohani at La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics. Once Dr. Kohani has taken x-rays and performed a cleaning and examination, you can discuss any cosmetic concerns you currently have with your smile. For more information about the procedures we offer, please contact our office at 858-295-0603.

858-295-0603

Frequently Asked Questions About General Dentistry

General dentistry is focused on providing patients with the best in biannual care, scheduled appointments, routine check-ups, and the overall upkeep of teeth and gums. The removal of plaque and other harmful decay can be a powerful deterrent against future diseases like gum disease, tooth infection, and more. General dentistry includes:

  • Ceramic crowns
  • Periodontal treatment
  • Root canal therapy
  • Dental cleanings

Contrary to popular belief, root canals are no more painful than the usual dental filling. While some discomfort is expected after treatment, modern technology has allowed for excessive pain to become an abnormal occurrence. Like most treatments, patients can expect some minor swelling and inflammation of the gums that will continue to subside within the next few days. Root canal therapy is a powerful and precise way to save a natural tooth from decay and potential loss.

Same-day ceramic crowns, as their name suggests, use the groundbreaking technology of CEREC® to provide patients with comfortable, durable, and well-fitting crowns in a single day. Using powerful CAD/CAM software that can create ceramic crowns in a matter of minutes, the same-day ceramic crowns not only make for a custom and personalized fit, but one that lasts for many years to come. With that being said, the longevity of a well-made crown relies ultimately on the patient’s care and habits. Patients who are teeth grinders (and most of us are) are going to cause damage to their crowns much sooner if they don’t wear a night guard. In addition to that, some patients think that it is a fake tooth; therefore, they do not need to floss between it. That could not be further from the truth. If anything, you need to floss it more so that bacteria does not get between the tooth and the crown.

Periodontal disease can be treated in multiple ways, with the most common being a deep cleaning performed by your dentist. This can be easily confused with general dental cleaning. General dental cleaning will break apart hard-to-reach plaque in areas that would otherwise go unnoticed or untouched in your regular hygiene routine. Without regular cleanings, you allow the possibility for tooth decay and gum disease to form. A regular cleaning focuses on the plaque above the gums.

Deep cleaning is different, as it is usually prompted after early gum disease has already begun to form. This process involves breaking off the plaque that has collected up on the teeth by scraping it from around the gum line (scaling) and removing the regions where bacteria have begun to impact the root of the tooth (planing). A deep cleaning removes the plaque and calculus from below the gums that is causing gum disease. A local anesthetic is used to keep the patient comfortable while the hygienist cleans beneath the gums.

Your teeth, gums, or jaw bone may become affected by periodontitis so much that these areas begin to atrophy and recede. Gum tissue does not regenerate itself as other tissue found throughout your body does. The only sure way to help gum recession is by getting a gum graft with a trusted dentist. Depending on the extent of your recession, there are a couple of ways to treat it. If there is minimal to moderate recession, you may be eligible for a less invasive grafting procedure, where your dentist is able to pull the gums right back up to where they are supposed to be. If the recession is severe, gum grafting uses tissue from another area of your mouth, usually in the far back, to protect your exposed root from future recession.

Dental fillings are one of the most useful ways dentists can help you fight tooth decay. Cavities form small holes that are noticeable on the surface of the tooth enamel. In just 30-minutes, fillings can fill these holes with composite materials before the holes expand and cause infection, severe tooth decay, or even tooth loss. Fillings are necessary to prevent even more costly treatment down the road. If the cavity is large, a filling may not be sufficient, and you may require a more involved treatment, such as a crown or a root canal.

If patients are not visiting a dentist every six months at the very least, many gum and teeth issues that are otherwise preventable can begin to arise. The most recent clinical studies also point to oral health problems affecting your body in other areas, leading to serious health concerns like heart disease and diabetes. Our goal is to use preventative measures and advanced techniques to fully optimize your dental health and overall wellness. Visiting a dentist regularly is most advantageous because it allows your dentist to find potential problems when they are small, versus waiting until they are large and require more treatment, such as a root canal, crown, or even tooth loss.

To provide each of our patients with dental care they can afford, La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics offers financing options with the help of CareCredit and LendingClub. Our patient-oriented team will also explain how dental plans work differently than financing, as most dental plans do not cover 100 percent of the treatments you need. Most dental plans result from a contract between the insurance company and your employer, union, or association. We will help you consider all your options and include resources like patient portals to help you fully access your current balance, request appointments, update patient information, and pay your bill.