General Dentistry

What is General Dentistry?

General dentistry can be defined as the type of dentistry that one would have done by the general practitioner dentist. This would include check-up examinations, x-rays, cleaning or prophylaxis, polishing and scaling teeth, fluoride treatment and the variety of fillings that are done to restore teeth.

Denture maintenance, relines and replacement are also part of what a general practitioner does.

Dental fillings can be made of the following materials;

Amalgam - a silver coloured material commonly used to restore holes between back teeth.
Composite or plastic tooth coloured filling material most suitable for front teeth.

Glass ionomer cement fillings most suitable for restoring receding gum lines of teeth which has made the teeth sensitive. It is also often the material of choice in restoring holes in children's teeth.

Cleaning teeth involves removing stains and soft and hard plaque from both above and below the teeth and gums, Other names for hard plaque is calculus and tartar. The dental term for cleaning away the plaque both soft and hard is called a scale or propylaxis. This should be done at least every six months.

If you are a smoker or drink a lot of coffee or red wine to keep the teeth looking good, a 3 monthly scale is more suitable for you. The person suffering from gum or periodontal disease will often opt for the 3 monthly visit option in order to keep their calculus levels under control.

A general examination and check-up should be done every six months. Radiographs or x-rays are necessary to properly diagnose if there are any holes between the back teeth. Two small x-rays should be taken every 12 months to 3 years depending on the decay rate of the individual patient.

Dentures should be relined at least every 18 months to 3 years, and replaced around every 7 years as necessary.

An ill-fitting denture probably needs a reline to better fit the changing conditions in the mouth. This can occur with sudden weight changes or as a natural time dependent occurrence in the body.

In the Mosman practice, general dentistry as well as complex crown and bridgework, root canal therapy; bite therapy; children's dentistry, denture maintenance, repair and replacement and cosmetic dentistry are performed. All age groups are catered for.

What about my children ?

Dr Michelle Lehmann enjoys treating children.

A variety of general dentistry is available at the Mosman dental practice. Denture work, all and part porcelain crowns and bridgework with precision attachments are all within the scope of this practitioner. Complex root canal therapy [on molar teeth] is done by Dr Michelle Lehmann on both adults and children under local anaesthetic.

Treating the bite problems and the T.M.J. and making splints and rebuilding the bite is a particular interest of Dr Michelle Lehmann.