Dave S. Carpenter is one of western Texas’s most respected doctors for all general dentistry needs. At Dr. Carpenter’s practice, every member of your family can have their teeth cared for by a friendly, professional dentist with a genuine concern for your family’s ongoing oral health. Whether you are a dutiful brusher or have let a significant amount of time lapse since your last dental appointment, Dr. Carpenter will gladly take all the steps necessary to provide you with a beautiful, clean smile, and provide you with the education you need to keep your teeth healthy for years to come.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
While brushing and flossing are critical, these methods alone cannot provide the deep clean that professional instruments can. During your appointment, Dr. Carpenter and his hygienist will work diligently to eliminate plaque and tartar that traditional brushing cannot scrub away. It is important to undergo this deep cleaning approximately every six months.
Dental Exams
At your appointment, Dr. Carpenter will inspect your mouth for any problems with your teeth and gums, such as cavities or gum disease. Any issues detected are most easily treated in their earliest stages, which is why regular appointments are so imperative. These examinations are also a good time to mention any issues you have noticed, such as pain or sensitivity, so that Dr. Carpenter can diagnose the problem.
Periodontal Treatment
Gum disease is fairly common among patients with poor oral hygiene and can have significant health consequences. Tender or swollen gums that are bright in color or bleed easily when you brush or floss are some of the more common signs of periodontal disease. The condition can make your teeth feel loose and can cause sensitivity as well as bad breath.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways to treat periodontal disease, the easiest being scaling and root planing, a process that removes the plaque stuck beneath your gum line and then smooths out your tooth roots to limit the space where bacteria can become trapped. Surgical intervention may be necessary for more serious cases.
Tooth Fillings
Most patients wind up having a cavity at some point or another. Fortunately, fillings are an easy way to address the problem and protect tooth from further decay. Gone are the days when metallic fillings were the only option; Dr. Carpenter has tooth-colored fillings that match the precise color of your existing teeth to ensure that no one will even be able to tell you had a cavity in the first place.
Oral Cancer Screening
Over 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer each year, and many of those cases are first noticed by dentists. While most people would not recognize the early signs of oral cancer even in their own mouths, Dr. Carpenter is specially trained to look for irregularities that could spell trouble. Because oral cancer is so much easier to treat when caught early, it is imperative that you receive regular checks.
Choose Dr. Carpenter for General Dental Needs
The best part about selecting a doctor with multiple specialties for your general dentistry needs is that if a situation arises that requires restorative or cosmetic dentistry, you can deal with those issues — often immediately — by returning to the same dentist you already trust. To schedule an exam and cleaning, call Dr. Carpenter’s office at (409) 898-4300 now.