5 Common Procedures That Need to Be Performed at a Dental Office

If you feel a sense of anxiety whenever you think of seeing a dentist, you are definitely not alone. For many, when a visit to the dental office is imminent, their inner voice whispers: “But how much care do these teeth really need? Can’t I clean my teeth at home?” A lot of us would like to believe that we can avoid the dental office by simply regularly brushing their teeth. However, there is a host of other very important procedures that are offered by your dentist that you could need to maintain the health of your teeth. Below is a list of the top 5 common procedures that are performed at the dental office and that you should definitely be aware of before entertaining the thought of avoiding your next visit!

1. Dental Fillings: Dental fillings are the most common procedure and have been for many years. They are used to treat cavities (i.e. tooth decay) and restore the health of your tooth. Fillings are performed by extracting the decayed material from the tooth and then filling the area with a special material.
2. Root canals: Root Canals are also known as endodontic treatments, and they are used to treat and restore teeth that are either infected or severely decayed. This is done by removing the nerve and pulp of the tooth, cleaning it and then sealing it.
3. Dental Crowns: Dental crowns are caps that are shaped like the tooth and are placed over the visible part of the tooth in order to completely cover it. This procedure can be done for a number of reasons, a few of which are to prevent a fragile tooth from breaking, to enhance the appearance of a stained or badly shaped tooth and to secure a dental bridge. Many times, a crown will cover a tooth after a root canal has been completed.
4. Dental Extractions: This procedure is also known as exodontia and is referred to by many as simply ‘tooth pulling’. It involves removing the tooth or teeth from their sockets. This procedure is normally done when teeth are too decayed, infected or diseased to be restored to health through other procedures. Often times, people need to come in to perform extractions of their problematic wisdom teeth.
5. Tooth whitening: Also called Tooth Bleaching, Tooth whitening is more of a cosmetic procedure as its purpose is to enhance the appearance of the tooth. This procedure is done on discolored teeth to return them to their natural color, but can also be done to make teeth appear whiter than they naturally do.

These, oftentimes very necessary, procedures are just a few of the hosts of procedures that can be performed at the dental office. It would be very uncommon to find someone who has gone through their life surviving on simple oral cleanings without completing one of these 5 procedures. Now, considering that there are even more procedures that are performed at dental offices, you certainly should never skip your next visit again!