General Dentistry

At Pearl Dentures and Dental Care, we provide the full range of general dentistry services, but it all starts with your initial exam.

Dental anxiety or fear of treatment costs may have prevented you from getting regular checkups, but they are essential for your overall oral health as well as your general health. Plus, they can easily save you money in the long run by catching issues earlier before more extensive procedures are needed and before you experience any painful symptoms.

Yearly checkups are essential, but if you are experiencing plaque build-up or gum disease, you may need to be monitored more closely. Here are some of the general dentistry services we offer. Make your oral health a priority and schedule your appointment today.

Necessary for the health of your teeth and gums and to watch for any early signs of dental disease.

A thin, protective coating to help prevent cavities.

This option can be used to repair rear teeth with mild to moderate decay or fractured teeth that have not suffered enough damage to require a crown.
When you do need to treat tooth decay, the filling will never be noticeable.

An endodontic treatment to remove the infected pulp of a tooth in order to save it from extraction.

When much of your tooth’s overall structure has been lost, crowns are often used to replace it. When teeth are lost a bridge can be used to fill the area.

When it’s not possible to save a tooth, extraction may be necessary for your overall oral health.

With extensive tooth loss, full or partial dentures may be needed. See our section on dentures for more information.

Pain in the jaw area may be a sign of TMD or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. It may interfere with your ability to bite and chew.

An often overlooked necessity. It can be cured if caught early and tobacco users are not the only ones at risk. One in four patients diagnosed have no risk factors at all. Oral Cancer screenings are quick and painless. The ViziLite Pro system that we have in our office uses blue light technology to dramatically enhance the ability to see potential problems with the tissues in your mouth. Abnormalities not visible to the naked eye.

With tobacco use declining steadily over the past decade, you might assume oral cancer should be declining as well. You’d be wrong. What is surprising is the rising diagnosis of oral cancer among non-smokers in their 30s and even 20s. They are outpacing the decline of the smoking population.

Why is this? The prevalence of HPV, the human papilloma virus, is the cause. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Because it’s possible to not have signs or symptoms of it for years, a person may never know exactly when they were exposed, so may be at risk for oral cancer without even knowing it.

Roughly 9,000 people die from oral cancers every year often due to late diagnosis. Thankfully, if caught early, your survival rate dramatically increases. We recommend screening once a year for everyone, but anyone with these known risk factors shouldn’t put off this potentially lifesaving screening.

• Tobacco Use
• Excessive Alcohol Use
• Poor Diet
• HPV (specifically strand 16) positive
• Anyone Over 40 Years Old

Please read our blog post “Oral Cancer Screening: It’s not just for smokers anymore” for additional information on oral cancer. Make your appointment today.

Gum disease, also known as Periodontal Disease, is the inflammation and infection of the tissues and bone that support your teeth. If left unchecked, teeth may fall out on their own or need to be removed. Catching and treating gum disease in the early stages is essential to preventing tooth loss. Red, swollen or bleeding gums are just a few of the signs of gum disease, but many people have no warning signs at all.

There is more at stake than your teeth. Gum disease has known links to several illnesses. Recent research shows that systemic inflammation in the body is the likely cause for many of these connections rather than bacteria as was believed in the past. It’s important to include a dentist as part of your professional health team. Treating any existing gum disease you may have could not only improve your oral health, but your overall health as well. Call us to make an appointment to assess your gum health.

Here’s a partial list of illnesses that can go hand-in-hand with gum disease.

Pneumonia
Surprised? This is one issue that can be caused by bacteria in the mouth. People with gum disease in particular can inhale bacteria into their lungs leading to respiratory illnesses.

Heart Disease
Having gum disease increases the risk of heart disease. It may also worsen existing heart conditions. If you are diagnosed with a heart condition, you should discuss the possible need for antibiotics prior to dental procedures with your doctor.

Diabetes
People with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease, which is considered a complication of diabetes. Gum disease, in turn, can cause complications by making it more difficult to control blood sugar.

Stroke
Increased systemic inflammation caused by gum disease has a stroke risk correlation similar to that of high blood pressure.

Osteoporosis
The bone loss throughout your body due to osteoporosis can include your jaw compromising the foundation that supports your teeth and can lead to tooth loss.
Cancers in Men
According to the American Academy of Periodontology, researchers have discovered that men with a history of gum disease are 14% more likely to develop cancer than men with healthy gums. Of men with gum disease, 49% are more likely than women to develop kidney cancer, 54% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, and 30% more likely to develop blood cancers.