Patrica Hunter, DDS

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Types of Dental Surgery

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Dental surgery may sound intimidating. It usually is recommended by a general dentist, and can seem scary. It often requires sedation. However, the doctors providing these treatment have gone to years and years of specialty school and extensive training. They are professionals and you can trust that if your Natick MA dentistry pros have referred you, then you are in safe hands. Most dental surgeries are common, planned, and non-emergent.

What is dental surgery?

Dental surgery is a very broad term, it involved anything that requires the medical intervention of the teeth, jaw, and or gums.

What are some of the procedures Dental Surgeons do?

  • Wisdom teeth removal
  • Impacted tooth removal
  • Dental Implants
  • Unequal jaw growth treatment and or repair
  • Cleft lip and palate repair
  • Facial injury repair
  • Facial infection drainage
  • Snoring/Sleep Apnea treatment

How can I prepare for dental surgery?

The most common procedures for dental surgeons are wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, and impacted tooth removal. These are planned procedures, where you will have advanced notice and be able to prepare for the appointments. Here are some ideas for how to be best prepared for your upcoming dental surgery:

  1. Call and book your appointment.
  2. Confirm your appointment.
  3. Brush your teeth (unless otherwise instructed not to) prior to your appointment.
  4. If your dentist or your surgeon has prescribed any medication for you to take prior to your appointment, follow those instructions carefully.
  5. Bring ID and insurance cards if applicable.
  6. You will not be able to drive yourself home following dental surgery, ensure that you have a ride and someone to help care for you during your recovery.

What is recovery from dental surgery like?

Much of your recovery will depend upon the procedure you had done. But for almost all of these procedures, you can expect a few things. You have likely been under sedation, so you will need a ride home from your procedure and you will likely want a caretaker for the next 24-48 hours.

You can expect to feel nausea and will likely want to spend the rest of the day in bed. Following many of these procedures ice packs should be used to minimize swelling and discomfort. Most surgeons ask that you do not lay flat for several days and will give specific instructions for brushing/cleaning your mouth following surgery. Your surgeon will also likely prescribe antibiotics and pain medication as well. Take the antibiotics exactly as instructed, and the pain medication as needed (but never in excess of the prescribed amount).

If you have had teeth removed, you will likely want to eat soft foods for some time following your surgery. Strenuous exercise may also be prohibited for some time as this can increase blood flow and disrupt healing. Following many oral surgeries, you will not be permitted to use a straw, as the suction needed to drink can disrupt blood clotting or aggravate the surgical area.

As mentioned before, dental surgery can seem overwhelming or intimidating, but you can rest assured that whatever your procedure, you can trust that the practitioners will do everything in their power to make the experience as pain free and comfortable as possible.

What is Orthodontics?

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The alignment of the teeth in the mouth of a person depends on a number of factors like lifestyle, habits, hereditary factors. While some individuals are lucky to have perfectly aligned teeth, others are misaligned or protruding teeth.

This can adversely affect the appearance of the individual and self-esteem. Additionally, it can become difficult to chew and eat food properly if the teeth are misaligned. In the last century, there have been great advances in the field of orthodontics and Millburn dentistry, making it possible to safely and painlessly align the teeth, to improve the smile, appearance and make it easier to eat.

Though it is possible to get orthodontic treatment at all ages, usually it better to get the misaligned teeth corrected at young age, usually between ten and fifteen. This is because the child is growing and the time required to correct the misaligned teeth will be far less compared to the time taken for an adult.

It is also easier to correct the bone and jaw structure. Also, teenagers are far more conscious about their appearance, and having protruding teeth can adversely affect their self-esteem. So if the child or teenager undergoes orthodontic treatment to get a perfect smile, he or she will be more confident.

In the last few decades, the number of adults undergoing orthodontic treatment has increased significantly. The smile of a person affects the first impression which the person makes, so misaligned teeth can create a wrong impression.

Hence adults are opting to get their teeth aligned to improve their smile, social and professional life. It is easier to clean the straightened teeth by brushing and flossing them, leading to improved dental health since tooth decay and gum problems will be prevented. Perfectly aligned teeth will also improve the bite of the person and make it easier to eat food.

The first step in getting orthodontic treatment, is taking an appointment with the orthodontist at a convenient time. The orthodontist will first examine the teeth to check the alignment of the teeth and other dental problems. Then he will ask the patient, what kind of treatment he is looking for.

While most of the patients want to improve their smile, in some cases, the teeth may be misaligned or protruding and the patient wishes to get the teeth straightened. Then the orthodontist will take a photo or x-ray of the teeth so that he can examine the teeth structure properly and decide the best treatment options available.

The orthodontist will usually offer multiple treatment options for a patient, depending on the type of misalignment of the teeth, how quickly the teeth have to be aligned and the convenience of the patient.

Though invisalign is the most sophisticated treatment option for straightening the teeth, it is fairly expensive and everyone will not be able to afford it. There are other more affordable treatment options also available. Patients who cannot afford to pay the entire amount for the treatment upfront, can also opt to get financing for the treatment. They have to specify the amount which they pay as down payment, and the time period for repayment of the orthodontist fees.

Is There A Difference Between A General and Cosmetic Dentist?

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Visiting a dentist regularly is very important for getting your teeth checked and treated for any kind of dental issues as these dental professionals are entrusted with the task of keeping your smile healthy and beautiful. A general dentist is someone who will look after your teeth and help you in keeping all kind of dental issues at bay so that you don’t suffer from cavities, tooth decay or tooth loss.

This dentist also provides basic as well as preventative procedures for making sure that you will get a healthy set of teeth. But instead of keeping your teeth healthy, if you want to change the appearance of your teeth then you will need to visit a cosmetic dentist. Additionally, the cosmetic dentist will also provide treatments for making your teeth look natural, whiter and brighter with different dental procedures.

Therefore, before you visit a dentist, you need to know everything about both these dental professionals for making sure that you are getting the highest quality of treatment. You need to know the difference between general and cosmetic dentist so that you can select the best dental professionals for meeting your dental needs.

General vs cosmetic dentistry

General dentist:

This dentist is trained in taking care of your teeth, gums and mouth as they are also skilled enough to evaluate the teeth and identify the issues with teeth and gums. Additionally, the missing teeth are also filled with the use of crowns and bridges so that you will get a perfectly aligned set of teeth.

Along with diagnosing the oral diseases, the general dentist in portsmouth will also offer preventative treatments that are very important for maintaining oral health. General dentist are known to address the dental problems that are associated with pain and discomfort so that you will enjoy improved oral hygiene.

Cosmetic dentist:

Cosmetic dentist is known to offer aesthetic treatments that will help in improving the overall appearance of your teeth. Apart from treating a wide range of dental issues, these dentists are also known to improve the aesthetics of your smile.

These professionals also specialize in improving appearance of your teeth with the help of veneers, whitening and restoration procedures. This will help in creating a more beautiful and youthful appearance to your smile by treating all kind of flaws with your teeth.

General vs cosmetic dentistry- know the differences

The general and cosmetic dentist completes the basic training to take proper care of the teeth including x-rays, teeth cleaning and other techniques for oral health. Both these dental professionals can add veneers, bridges and crowns for improving the health of your teeth and gums. Additionally, general and cosmetic dentists are also responsible for maintaining and restoring the condition of your oral health but cosmetic dentistry emphasizes on the appearance of the teeth more than its health.

Therefore, it is important that you do proper research for making the best informed decision pertaining to your oral health so that you are getting the assistance of a licensed and qualified professional. On one hand, the general dentist is responsible for taking care of the oral health of a person, the cosmetic dentist are certified and approved professionals who are known to perform specialized services to the patients. While general dentists are known to offer treatments for the oral health, cosmetic dentist specializes in the dental aesthetics of the person.

When determining the right selection of the dental professional, you should select the one that is suited for your needs so that you will get the best treatment for your oral health. When you are concerned about the oral health of your teeth, then you need to visit a general dentist but a cosmetic dentist will address the issues affecting the appearance of your teeth. There are some oral treatments that are offered by both these dentists but if you need specialized service, you will need to visit a cosmetic dentist.

A healthy set of teeth can be accomplished with the help of a general dentist while getting an aesthetically pleasing look can be achieved with the assistance of a cosmetic dentist. Therefore, you should determine your needs while visiting a dentist so that you will get treatment from the best dental professionals.