At Halliburton Family Dentistry, Dr. Denise Halliburton takes a personalized approach to helping her patients maintain their oral health. During routine exams, Dr. Halliburton can diagnose dental problems and create personalized treatment plans. She consults with her patients to understand their specific needs. She also takes the time to review treatment options during a dental consultation.
General dentistry is a service that can maintain a healthy smile and prevent future oral health problems. Addressing dental fear, dental emergencies, or infections head-on stops them from worsening. Early detection and treatment are also important, which is why we want our patients to visit us biannually for routine appointments.
General Dentistry in Ellicott City, MD
General dental services help prevent future oral health problems:
Dental sealants
Dr. Halliburton can place this resin compound (similar to a dental filling) on the surface of the back molars, which have multiple cusps, to prevent tooth decay. Often recommended for children once their permanent teeth have reupte4d, they are also available for adults who are cavity-prone.
Custom Mouthguard
Do you play contact sports like lacrosse, soccer, basketball, or football? You need a custom sports mouthguard to protect your teeth and gums. Sports mouthguards prevent athletes from needing cosmetic and restorative care for chipped, broken, or even lost teeth. Compared to store-bought mouthguards, our custom mouthguards make it easier to speak and drink. Our mouthguards also stay in the mouth so you don’t have to clench your jaw to keep them in.
Emergency Dentistry
Emergency dental care is used in situations where patients need prompt treatment. Severe toothaches, excessive bleeding, broken dental restorations, and knocked-out permanent teeth are dental emergencies that we treat in our Ellicott City office. Do not try to fix your dental emergency on your own; we will help you get professional care to immediately treat your dental problem.
Family Dentistry
As a family dental office, we serve patients of all ages. We help parents care for their child’s teeth and offer restorative and cosmetic treatments for patients as they grow older. Learning how to care for your child’s primary teeth can prevent problems prevalent among children including cavities and tooth decay.
Tooth Extraction
Dental extractions are needed for patients with teeth that are severely infected, overcrowded, or impacted. There are two types of tooth extractions: simple and complex. We always ensure that patients feel comfortable, whether they need a quick extraction or a procedure that takes several hours. Our goal is to provide comfortable and effective oral health treatment.
Why is Preventative Care Important?
Preventative care is the basis of general dentistry and your oral health. And it has to take place both in the dentist office and when you’re at home, too. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. We believe in patient education at our office. We’ll help you with the best techniques and recommend particular products if we think they’ll be beneficial to you. If your smile is more susceptible to things like gum disease, we’ll make sure you know the best toothpaste and mouthwash to use.
But you still need to visit the dentist every six months, even with the most diligent care at home. There are nooks and crannies in your smile that your toothbrush can’t reach. We use specialized dental tools whose whole purpose is to get into these hard-to-reach areas. Without these dental cleanings, plaque and tartar start to build up in these areas. This puts you at a higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
At the office, we perform a thorough oral exam as well. Many oral health problems like oral cancer and gum disease have early symptoms that aren’t painful, so they may not be noticed. We’re trained to see these early signs so we can flag them before they become more serious issues. With x-rays and other diagnostic tools, we can see exactly how your mouth has changed since the last time you visited. This helps us see when there are irregularities.
Age-Specific Dental Care
As a family dentist in Ellicott City, MD, we provide dental care for all ages. We recognize that the most prominent problems in some age groups won’t be the most prominent in others. Young children, for example, are at a higher risk for tooth decay. They have sugary diets and aren’t as adept at brushing and flossing. We recommend dental sealants for an extra layer of protection against bacteria. They’re painted onto the most cavity-prone areas and dry as a protective layer on the tooth.
In the late teens and early twenties, wisdom teeth develop. They make the mouth cramped and can cause crooked teeth if they erupt, or cause pain and infection if they stay impacted under the surface. We almost always recommend extraction for the benefit of your oral health. If your smile becomes too cramped or crooked, Invisalign can help straighten out your smile. We’ll create a personalized treatment plan to get your smile perfect again.
As we age, the years take their toll on our smiles just like on the rest of our bodies. Seniors’ teeth are more worn down, can break and chip, and go missing. We offer restorative dentistry solutions to take years off of your smile. Dental crowns fix wear, tear, and breaks. We have multiple solutions to replace missing teeth as well. Usually, we recommend dental implants as the best option to replace your missing teeth.
General Dentistry FAQs
Read answers to questions about general dental services:
When should I schedule my child’s first dental visit?
We recommend that parents bring their children to the dentist after their first tooth erupts and before their first birthday. Early dental care can prevent oral health problems like cavities later on.
Are tooth extractions painful?
Patients may feel some swelling or soreness following their tooth extraction, but we provide pain medication and ice packs for a quick recovery. Ultimately, tooth extractions alleviate pain caused by impacted and infected teeth.
Can sports mouthguards help treat teeth grinding?
No, we do not recommend sports mouthguards for bruxism, or teeth grinding. We do provide nightguards for bruxism, which often occurs as a result of TMJ disorders. Sports mouthguards are made of a different plastic with a larger thickness. They cannot efficiently treat the bite and jaw problems that accompany teeth grinding.
Request a Dental Appointment Today
Contact Halliburton Family Dentistry today at 443.232.0656. You may also schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Halliburton and her team on our website. We serve patients in Howard County, MD, including Ellicott City, Columbia, and Elkridge. Please let our team know if you have any further questions about your general dental care. They will be happy to assist you.