Blog

You know you should see a dentist on a regular basis for optimum oral health. After all, even a minor mouth infection can not only become unbearable, but it can also cause health problems elsewhere in your body if it travels to other organs via your circulatory or lymphatic system.

A general dentist is your primary dental care provider who can diagnose, treat, and prevent health issues in the mouth and teeth – and thereby maintain optimum oral health. This includes dental care, gum care, and dental procedures like braces and crowns. It also includes cosmetic dentistry for a great smile.

General dentists offer numerous services for the whole family. Let’s talk about some of what they can offer:

Dental Cleanings

Most dental visits involve a dental cleaning. Most of the time spent at the dentist’s office during these routine visits involves having your teeth cleaned and polished by a dental hygienist.

The dentist will pop in at some point during or after your cleaning to check your teeth. If it is your first time at that dentist’s office, the dentist will give you a full dental checkup; if you are an established patient, the dentist may just do a quick check of your oral health and make sure you do not have any new infections or signs of oral disease. The hygienist will tell the dentist about anything unusual that they may see during your cleaning.

Dental X-Rays

Dental X-rays are radiograph images of your teeth that your dentist will use to evaluate your oral health. With the use of low levels of radiation, the X-ray machine captures interior images of your teeth and gums to help your dentist identify problems like cavities, tooth decay, and impacted teeth.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is geared toward improving the appearance of the mouth and teeth. This includes professional teeth whitening, crowns, veneers, and implants.

One of the best things about cosmetic dental procedures is that they usually have the added benefit of fostering better oral health. For example, an implant and crown will make your smile look more spectacular, but they will also help keep your jawbone and gums in optimum shape – as opposed to having no tooth to support those structures.

Orthodontics

If you need braces, fillings, or teeth-straightening measures, your dentist can provide whatever is necessary to give you a healthy and beautiful set of teeth. We typically think of braces as metal bars going across the front of the teeth, especially in kids, but nowadays braces can be invisible – which make them more suitable for adults, too.

Also available are teeth straighteners are known as Invisalign. These are customized aligners that you can remove when necessary, such as when eating or brushing, but which are invisible to just about everyone but you. A patient who is being treated with Invisalign will receive a new customized aligner about every two months or so, as the teeth will adjust and will, therefore, need a new aligner to continue aligning the teeth toward perfection.

Family Dentist in Plantation, Florida

If you are looking for a dentist who can make you feel comfortable during every dental visit, Dr. Ernie Soto is here for you and your whole family. He even offers IV sedation if you prefer to be mildly sedated during your visit, even during dental cleanings, so that you will never be nervous or dread going to the dentist again.

Dr. Soto has been practicing dentistry in South Florida for over three decades. He specializes in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and general dentistry.

If you are looking for a dentist you can trust, and one you will actually look forward to seeing on a regular basis to keep your mouth healthy, contact our friendly team today. Call us at (954) 368-6264 or fill out our easy-to-use online appointment request form now. We look forward to helping you achieve and maintain a beautiful smile for a lifetime!