General Dentistry
Preventive and restorative dental care focused on long-term oral health.
Comprehensive Dental Care for Patients of All Ages
General dentistry at Heather Street Dental covers the routine and restorative care that helps maintain oral health over time. From preventive visits to more involved treatment, care is approached thoughtfully and with attention to each patient’s individual needs.
What General Dentistry Includes
General dentistry focuses on maintaining oral health and addressing concerns as they arise. Services provided at Heather Street Dental include:
Regular dental visits are about more than finding cavities. Preventive care helps maintain healthy teeth and gums, identify concerns early, and reduce the need for more extensive treatment in the future.
Consistent check-ups also allow us to build a long-term record of your oral health. By comparing examinations, X-rays, gum measurements, and previous findings over time, we can identify what is new, what has changed, and what has remained stable. This history supports continuity of care, whether that care is at Heather Street Dental or anywhere else you go, and helps your dental team make informed decisions based on your ongoing dental history, rather than from a single snapshot in time.
We help you maintain access to your dental records and can assist with transferring them when needed, so your history and important clinical information can continue with you.
Our approach to fillings and restorations is conservative and tooth-focused. We aim to preserve as much healthy natural tooth structure as possible while treating decay, repairing damage, and addressing sensitivity before problems become more extensive.
We use tooth-coloured restorative materials and no longer place silver/amalgam fillings. Whenever possible, our goal is to restore and protect the tooth while helping it remain healthy and comfortable—reducing the likelihood of needing more extensive treatment such as a root canal.
Occasionally, a tooth may already have deeper inflammation or damage than initially apparent. In these uncommon situations, further treatment, including root canal therapy, may ultimately be necessary.
Dental Crowns
Restoring strength, function, and stability to damaged or weakened teeth.
Protecting and Preserving Natural Teeth
Dental crowns are used to restore teeth that have been weakened by decay, fracture, or previous dental work. A crown covers the affected tooth, helping protect it while restoring normal function. Crowns are recommended when a tooth needs additional support and cannot be adequately restored with a filling alone.
When a Dental Crown May Be Recommended
A dental crown may be recommended if you have:
- A tooth weakened by decay or fracture
- A tooth with a large filling
- A tooth that has undergone root canal therapy
- A cracked or worn-down tooth
- A tooth that needs added protection or stability
Treatment recommendations are based on clinical findings and the condition of the tooth.
What to Expect
Crown treatment begins with an assessment to confirm whether a crown is appropriate. If recommended, the tooth is prepared, and digital impressions or scans are taken to ensure an accurate fit.
A temporary crown may be placed to protect the tooth while the final restoration is made. Once ready, the permanent crown is placed and adjusted to ensure proper fit, comfort, and function.
Root Canal Therapy
Treating infection inside the tooth to relieve pain and preserve natural teeth.
Addressing Infection Without Removing the Tooth
Root canal therapy is used when the inner portion of a tooth becomes infected or inflamed. Treatment focuses on removing the source of infection, relieving discomfort, and allowing the natural tooth to remain in place. Root canals are often recommended when decay, trauma, or previous dental work has affected the inside of the tooth.
When a Root Canal May Be Needed
Root canal therapy may be recommended when symptoms suggest infection or inflammation inside a tooth, such as:
- Persistent or worsening tooth pain
- Sensitivity to heat or cold that doesn’t resolve
- Swelling or tenderness in the surrounding gums
- Signs of infection or abscess
- A tooth that has been deeply decayed or damaged
Each case is assessed individually to determine whether root canal therapy is the most appropriate option.
What to Expect
Root canal treatment involves removing the infected tissue from inside the tooth and cleaning the internal space to prevent further infection. The tooth is then sealed to protect it from future issues.
In many cases, a dental crown is recommended afterward to restore strength and protect the tooth over time.
Addressing Tooth Pain or Infection
If you’re experiencing ongoing tooth pain or have been advised that root canal treatment may be needed, we can assess the situation and discuss appropriate next steps.
When a tooth is causing significant pain, infection, or an urgent dental problem, an extraction can sometimes provide the most appropriate path toward relief. For teeth that are badly damaged or decayed, we consider extraction a last resort when the tooth can no longer be predictably restored or maintained.
We take the time to assess the tooth, discuss whether there are reasonable alternatives, and make sure you understand what to expect before proceeding. During treatment, we use appropriate local anesthetic and careful techniques to keep you as comfortable as possible, while recognizing that every tooth, procedure, and patient’s experience can be different.
For urgent dental problems, our priority is to identify the source of the pain and help determine the appropriate next step—whether that means treating and keeping the tooth or, when necessary, removing it.
Clenching and grinding can place significant and repeated forces on the teeth, contributing over time to wear, cracks, chipped teeth, and damage to existing dental work. Therapeutic Botox can be used to reduce excessive activity in the jaw muscles and lessen the intensity of these forces.
Treatment is tailored to your muscle activity, bite, and dental history, and may complement other protective measures such as a night guard. The goal is to help manage excessive clenching and grinding while preserving natural tooth structure and supporting the long-term health of your teeth.
Treatment recommendations are based on oral health history, clinical findings, and patient goals.
At Heather Street Dental, we believe understanding your oral health is just as important as providing treatment. We explain our findings, discuss appropriate options, and help you make informed decisions.