What General Dentistry Covers
General dentistry handles the foundation of oral health. It’s not just about fixing cavities when they hurt—it’s about preventing them in the first place.
Core services include:
- Professional cleanings that remove the buildup your toothbrush can’t reach.
- Thorough examinations to spot decay, gum disease, and oral cancer.
- X-rays that reveal problems hiding beneath the surface.
- Fluoride treatments strengthen enamel against acid attacks.
- Sealants that protect vulnerable chewing surfaces.
- Fillings that restore teeth damaged by decay.
Dr. Ryan Kent focuses on catching problems while they’re still manageable. A small cavity detected during a routine exam takes minutes to fill. Wait until it causes a toothache, and you might need a root canal instead.
Preventive Care Keeps You Out of the Treatment Chair
Nobody enjoys dental work, which makes prevention the smartest investment you can make. Your teeth face constant attacks from bacteria, acids, and grinding forces. Without regular professional cleanings, plaque hardens into tartar that inflames gums and eats away at bone.
Gum disease doesn’t announce itself with pain at first. You might notice slight bleeding when you brush, maybe some bad breath that doesn’t go away. By the time it hurts, you’ve already lost tissue and bone that won’t grow back. General dentistry catches these warning signs during routine visits.
Oral cancer screenings happen during every exam too. Most people never think about mouth cancer until someone they know gets diagnosed. Early detection makes treatment far more successful, and the screening takes just a few minutes.
Restorative Treatments Bring Damaged Teeth Back
Even with excellent brushing habits, teeth sometimes need repair. Fillings remain one of the most common procedures in general dentistry in Yuma, but the materials have improved dramatically. Modern composite fillings match your natural tooth color and bond directly to the tooth structure, creating a stronger restoration than old metal fillings ever did.
Crowns protect teeth that have lost too much structure to support a simple filling. Maybe you cracked a tooth on an ice cube, or an old filling finally gave out. A crown caps the entire visible portion of the tooth, distributing chewing forces evenly and preventing further damage.
Root canals get a bad reputation they don’t deserve. When decay reaches the nerve inside your tooth, you have two options: extract it or save it with a root canal. Saving natural teeth almost always beats artificial replacements. The procedure removes infected tissue, fills the space, and typically causes less discomfort than the toothache that brought you in.
Building Long-Term Oral Health Habits
Your dentist sees you maybe twice a year. You brush your teeth 730 times a year if you’re doing it right. What happens at home matters more than what happens in the dental chair, but most people never learned proper technique.
Brushing too hard wears away enamel and irritates gums. Brushing too gently leaves plaque behind. The pressure should feel firm but comfortable—imagine scrubbing a tomato without bruising it. Electric toothbrushes take some of the guesswork out with built-in pressure sensors and timers.
Flossing removes bacteria from places your brush can’t reach. Those tight spaces between teeth account for about 40% of tooth surfaces. Skip flossing, and you’re basically cleaning only 60% of your teeth. It doesn’t matter if you floss before or after brushing, or what time of day you do it. Consistency matters more than timing.
Why Regular Visits Make a Difference
Six months feels like an arbitrary interval for dental checkups, but there’s logic behind it. Most cavities take months to develop from early enamel damage to something requiring treatment. Catching them at the six-month mark means you deal with smaller problems.
Some patients need more frequent visits. If you’re prone to cavities or have active gum disease, quarterly cleanings might serve you better. Others with excellent oral health might stretch visits to nine months. Your dentist recommends a schedule based on your individual risk factors.
Dental anxiety keeps many people away longer than they should stay away. Years pass, problems multiply, and the fear grows stronger. General dentistry practices understand this cycle and work to make visits as comfortable as possible. The longer you wait, the more work you’ll need—which creates exactly the situation you were trying to avoid.
Comprehensive General Dentistry in Yuma
Finding a dental practice that handles everything under one roof saves time and builds continuity in your care. You develop a relationship with your dentist, who learns your dental history, understands your concerns, and tracks changes over time.
Avenue B Dentistry provides the full spectrum of general dentistry services that families need. From your child’s first checkup to maintaining your smile through retirement, comprehensive care means you don’t need to search for specialists every time something comes up.
Don’t wait for pain to schedule your next appointment. Contact Avenue B Dentistry today and get your oral health on track with care designed around preventing problems instead of just fixing them.