More than 65 percent of dentists in the U.S. are considered “general” dentists. General practitioners are responsible for guiding you and your family through a journey of lifelong oral health by preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries associated with the teeth and gums.
The Academy of General Dentistry reports general dentists offer a comprehensive menu of services, including:
- Instruction on at-home care
- Regular cleanings
- Treatment for gingivitis, periodontitis (gum disease)
- Therapy for root canals
- Restorations such as crowns, bridges, dentures
- Therapies for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD/TMJ)
- Cosmetic procedures, such as whitening and veneers (or “facings”)
The AGD notes if a specific dental procedure is needed, a general dentist may refer you to other dentists specializing in the particular condition and respective treatment.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there are nine different types of dental specialists:
- Endodontists – Therapists for root canals, whereby a tooth is treated from the inside out
- Orthodontists – Specialize in straightening teeth with braces or other appliances
- Pediatric dentists – Skilled in treating children
- Oral surgeons – Operate on mouth, teeth, jaw
- Periodontists – Treat gum disease
- Prosthodontists – Replacement of missing teeth with crowns and other restorations, removable appliances like dentures
- Oral pathologists – Diagnoses of mouth conditions, including cancers
Dental public health specialists deliver strategies to improve wellness in targeted communities while oral and maxillofacial radiologists use imaging tests to diagnose head and neck diseases.
At the Smile Center, we defy categorization. Our staff is experienced in complex specialties that most “general” dentists have to refer out. We know it’s very stressful trying to get out of an embarrassing or painful situation. The goal is to make the process of looking and feeling better as simple and worry-free as possible.
For this reason, when you get a dental implant at the Smile Center, there is no need to schedule a separate appointment with an oral or maxillofacial surgeon to place the implant that will support your new tooth.
When Dr. Gordon Kent began placing dental implants in the early 1980s, the procedure wasn’t even 30 years old. No other doctor in Greater Buffalo was using this treatment to replace missing teeth.
To this day, we handle every stage of the implant process, from placement to restoration with a crown. Speaking of crowns, our lab can make your new teeth in-house. You don’t have to wait two weeks or more for an outside lab to create your restoration.
Since we offer a lab in-house, we can also match you to natural-looking dentures immediately if you are missing a lot or all of your teeth. These “immediate” dentures are applied to your mouth while we make your permanent denture, so you don’t go without teeth and can adapt to chewing and other functions with the new teeth. You’ll be fitted with the final denture after healing is complete in around three months.
No matter the procedure that brings you to our office, at the Smile Center we want you to feel comfortable. For this reason, we offer three different levels of sedation. While other dentists offer laughing gas and oral or enteral sedation, we are one of the few practices in the region to meet the strict licensing requirements necessary to administer a more powerful calming treatment, IV sedation.
We take general dentistry to another level. Experience firsthand our comprehensive approach to dental care near Buffalo NY 14255 by first contacting our team at .