What is a dentist?

The dental surgeon is a doctor specializing in dental surgery. It treats ailments of the teeth, mouth and gums. The dentist performs many treatments. It treats cavities, extracts infected teeth, places amalgams, crowns or prostheses, performs gum or bone grafts, treats abscesses and infections, removes tumors and cysts. The dentist in Lahore may specialize in pediatric dental surgery.

When to see a dentist?

The check-up to the dentist is essential to maintain oral health. This routine examination should be carried out regularly to prevent pathologies of the teeth and gums. The generally accepted interval between two visits to the dentist is 12 months. This frequency may vary, depending on several factors, including: age, oral history, risk factors (diet, tobacco). In all cases, the dentist in Lahore indicates a follow-up schedule adapted to each individual's situation. The frequency of scaling depends on each patient: it can be done every 4, 6 or 12 months. For example, the existence of a periodontal disease may require frequent scaling (every 6 months).

The aim of the visit at the age of one year is to diagnose, prevent and treat early childhood caries. It also makes it possible to make parents aware of the risks associated with poor oral hygiene in their child.

The ages most at risk of cavities are 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18.

Annual visits to the dentist in adulthood make it possible to monitor and treat common oral diseases, and to help the patient to implement personalized prevention. These visits are also part of a larger prevention system. Indeed, oral diseases can be symptomatic of different diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.

What does a dentist treat?

The dentist frequently performs scaling and polishing of the teeth. The formation of tartar in the space between the gum and the teeth results from the development of bacterial dental plaque, which over time becomes mineralized. Despite regular brushing, bacteria tend to proliferate, which can lead to inflammation of the gums (gingivitis). Scaling is an examination commonly performed in the dental office: it consists in removing the tartar accumulated on the teeth, and between the teeth and the gum, using a vibrating ultrasonic scaling instrument. It is followed by polishing (painless) which helps to clean dental plaque and residual roughness.

The treatment of cavities is also a daily activity of the dentist. Caries is the most common dental lesion: this infectious disease corresponds to the progressive degradation of the tissues of the tooth. Poor oral hygiene or excessive sugar consumption can promote the proliferation of certain bacteria that attack tooth enamel. Two types of treatment are possible: treatment consisting in eliminating the tissues softened by decay with filling with a suitable material, and, at a too advanced stage, devitalization of the tooth. This procedure, performed under local anesthesia, consists of removing the dental pulp using very fine instruments and disinfecting the inside of the tooth.

The placement of a crown or bridge is performed by the dentist. A dental crown is a prosthesis placed on a damaged tooth to protect it and prevent its extraction. It covers the visible part of a damaged tooth (by decay) or badly formed and serves to protect it from external aggressions. The bridge replaces a missing tooth with the help of an implant: it rests on at least two adjacent teeth (called "abutment teeth") which form a bridge between the space of the missing tooth. These two procedures require several visits to the dentist in order to prepare and perform the treatment and can cause generally moderate pain after the installation.

The dentist can also whiten the teeth and treat periodontal disease (gum graft, etc.).

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