General Dentistry
Our General Dentistry Services Help
Concerns
Tooth Decay
to your smile
General Dentistry Services
Most of the conditions that negatively affect your smile can be avoided with regular care. The Garner Dental Group team are committed to answering your questions about proper hygiene and providing you with the most advanced preventive dentistry. Learn why families of North Iowa have made us their dental home for their oral health care needs.
Periodontal Therapy
Fifty percent of all adults have some form of Periodontal Disease, often without realizing it. Periodontal disease is chiefly responsible for adult tooth loss, bleeding gums, bad breath, and receding gums. The truth is the disease is easily prevented with proper hygiene, appropriate home care, and professional treatment. If diagnosed in its early stages, periodontal disease treatments are easier, less invasive, and more effective. Your visit includes a complete evaluation of your gums and supportive tissues. You will have access to advanced periodontal therapy to heal and restore your oral health. For patients where conservative therapy is not sufficient, we can treat them with Periolase® laser therapy.
Signs and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease include:
- Bleeding gums
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
- Loose teeth
- Pus around teeth
- No pain associated with this disease until it is too late…
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Do you still have your wisdom teeth? Have you been putting off their removal? The dentists of Garner Dental Group can help. At some point in your life, most everyone must have their wisdom teeth extracted as a measure of preventive dentistry. A number of painful and lasting problems can occur due to the arrival of wisdom teeth. But with today’s dental technology, this procedure has been greatly improved to maximize your comfort and to speed along your recovery time.
Before extracting your wisdom teeth, your dentist will administer a local or general anesthetic, based on your own needs and patient medical history. Then he will open up the gum tissue over the tooth, remove any bone covering the tooth, separate any connective tissue, and remove the tooth itself. If necessary, your dentist will use stitches to close-up the surgical wound.
In most cases, your recovery from wisdom tooth extraction will only last a few days. Your Garner Dental Group team will provide with you with detailed information on the do’s and don’ts of recovery, and you will be prescribed medication to manage any pain. Finally, you will have peace of mind knowing you are no longer at risk for the many problems wisdom teeth can present!
Tooth Extractions
In some cases, injury or decay damages a tooth extensively, and an extraction is the proper treatment option to start you on the path toward complete dental health. Your Garner Dental Group team can remove your troublesome tooth and give you the treatment options for replacing that tooth to complete your beautiful smile once again.
Fillings
Are you embarrassed about your smile because of decayed, disfigured, or discolored teeth? You may be a good candidate for composite resins, also known as tooth-colored fillings or restorations. When the decay has been removed from the tooth, it is replaced with “filling” material. In the past, amalgam (silver) fillings were placed into the cleaned-out portion of the tooth. With new advancements in dentistry, you can now have tooth-colored fillings instead of silver fillings, resulting in a long- lasting, brighter, whiter smile. The new tooth-colored material is bonded to the teeth for a stronger restoration.
Oral Cancer Screenings
As a comprehensive dental practitioner, Garner Dental Group offers routine oral cancer screenings to you as a patient. Your dentist is the only medical professional in a position to routinely evaluate and detect abnormalities. Early detection is important. There will be 41,000 Americans diagnosed with oral cancer this year resulting in 12,500 deaths. The death rate from oral cancer is especially high due to late discovery of the disease. Prognosis is more positive with early detection. A patient who does not seek regular continuous care from a dental professional is putting their health at risk by delaying a diagnosis in the early stage of oral cancer. Your team at Garner Dental Group are dedicated to providing this potentially life-saving procedure for you.
Oral Cancer Statistics:
- Deaths due to oral cancer equal 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day
- Death rate is high not due to difficulty of diagnosis but due to late diagnosis
- 90% success rate if detected early
- Three times more common than cervical cancer
Nightguards
Many people who notice chipped or cracked teeth, but don’t remember when the injury occurred, damaged their teeth while they were sleeping. Grinding or clenching your teeth during the night will cause your teeth to chip, crack, and even break. To keep you from seriously damaging your teeth, we recommend a dental appliance called a nightguard, which protects your teeth from grinding and clenching in your sleep. Your Garner Dental Group dentists take great care in making sure you have a proper fit to prevent pain in your jaw joint. Do you suffer from headaches? If so, you may find that a side benefit of your nightguard is headache prevention. Many headaches start during the night, caused by the extreme pressure generated as you grind and clench your teeth. Ask the Garner Dental Group team about having a nightguard custom created especially for you.
NTIs
While night guards protect your teeth from grinding against one another and becoming damaged, an NTI is another solution.
An NTI is a small device that only covers your anterior teeth. Similar to a night guard, it is made from acrylics and hard plastics. In addition to preventing the grinding of teeth, the extra benefit of the NTI is that over time, the device teaches your muscles to relax. In this way, an NTI may be able to help you break the habit of grinding your teeth all together. If you are suffering from frequent migraines, as well as damaged teeth, an NTI may be the answer. Ask your Garner Dental Group team today if an NTI is right for you.
Insurance & Financing
Everyone should have access to the best dental care.
We are willing to assist you by filing your insurance for you. We will do everything possible to see that you receive the full benefits of your policy.
Don’t have insurance? No problem!
We work with CareCredit to offer flexible payment plans for those without insurance or for services outside your insurance plan’s coverage. Ask us how you can apply for this; we would be happy to help you complete this application right here in our office.
Better life through dentistry.
Learn why families of North Iowa have made us their dental home for their oral health care needs.
Request your appointment at Garner Dental Group.