Dental services are vital for maintaining a healthy smile and preventing serious oral health problems. They can also prevent or treat medical conditions that have oral manifestations, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Most dental insurance plans cover preventive and basic services, such as regular oral exams, professional cleanings, and x-rays. These services are essential for identifying problems early, saving you from more extensive and expensive treatment later on.
Preventive Care
Preventive care helps patients stay healthy and can help reduce the risk of developing dental or health problems. These services can include dental services Raleigh NC exams, which detect early signs of tooth decay or gum disease, and regular cleanings to remove plaque and tartar. In-network doctors must identify and code these visits as preventive care in order for insurance to cover them at no cost to the patient.
By encouraging preventive care, we can shift the healthcare industry's focus away from reactive care to proactive care.
Restorative Care
Restorative care targets patients who may be taking a longer time to recover from an illness or injury. It helps them regain the ability to perform daily activities with more ease and comfort. It also helps them regain confidence and dignity to reengage with life. It’s a specialized type of healthcare that requires a team that includes professionals such as nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and social workers. RN to BSN programs that include a focus on restorative care can help graduates understand how to support their patients with this therapeutic approach.
Common goals of restorative care include wound management, pain control and retraining for activities of daily living like bathing, dressing or eating.
Orthodontic Care
Orthodontic care improves not only your smile, but your overall health. This specialized branch of dentistry addresses issues such as crooked teeth and improper bite patterns. This specialized treatment uses braces and precise aligners to straighten the teeth, improve facial structure, enhance speech and digestion, and promote better oral hygiene.
Crooked and crowded teeth create spaces that are hard to clean with a toothbrush and floss, creating ideal conditions for tooth decay and other dental problems. Correcting these problems through orthodontics reduces the bacteria that cause gum disease and even sleep apnea. This is a long-term investment in your health that will save you time and money on future restorative procedures.
Periodontal Care
Gum disease, when left untreated, eats away at the gum and bone that support your natural teeth. Fortunately, periodontal treatment helps keep your natural teeth intact and healthy for years to come.
Periodontal care starts with regular cleanings and dental checkups. This keeps your smile free of infection and allows our dentists to monitor your oral health for signs of gum disease.
Patients with gum disease may require more extensive periodontal treatment, such as periodontal scaling and root planing. This deep cleaning method removes accumulated plaque and tartar from underneath your gums and smoothes tooth roots to prevent bacteria from reattaching. It may also include surgical procedures like gum grafting to cover exposed roots and enhance the appearance of your smile.
Endodontic Care
Endodontic care, such as root canal therapy, is necessary when a patient experiences dental pulp inflammation or infection. Common symptoms of such problems include tooth pain, prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, swelling and drainage around the affected area, or discoloration of a tooth.
By identifying these key symptoms early and receiving timely treatment, patients can avoid more extensive dental services Raleigh NC work in the future. Procedures like root canal therapy eliminate bacteria from infected and damaged roots, allowing for healthy teeth that function properly. Infected and damaged teeth that are left untreated can lead to complications that can affect a person’s chewing function, jawbone density, and overall health.
Oral Surgery
If you have an infection, injury, or misalignment that requires a surgical approach, oral surgery is an excellent option. The procedure can help you achieve better health, comfort, and appearance in the long-term.
Types of oral surgery include:
Choose an experienced surgeon who prioritizes your comfort. They can provide local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia for the procedure to reduce discomfort. They will also offer pre-surgery instructions, including avoiding certain foods and medications, and arranging for someone to drive you home after the procedure. This will ensure a smooth recovery period. They can also fix facial trauma, like skin tears, fractured jaw and face bones, reconnect disconnected nerves, and much more.
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