Your General Dentist in Daly City, CA
At the comfortable office of Daly City dentist Dr. Hovden, DDS, and our friendly, well-trained team, we offer a variety of general dentistry services. As a respected South San Francisco dentist, we want to make you as comfortable as possible, while also treating you with the care you deserve. Let us bring you into our dental family.
Some of the general dentistry services we offer are:
- Dental Cleaning: During your regular general dentistry checkups, we will provide teeth cleanings to make sure your teeth, gums, and mouth are healthy and clean.
- Dental Fillings: If you or one of your loved ones has a cavity, we use tooth-colored, non-metal fillings, which are safer and look like your natural teeth.
- Dental Crowns: We can advise you about which procedures you need, in order to keep your teeth healthy and protected. If you have a tooth or teeth that are damaged, discolored, misshapen, or have a large amount of decay, dental crowns may be the right treatment for you.
Learn More About Dental Crowns - Gum Disease Treatment: Gum disease is very prevalent with many Americans. If untreated, gum disease can cause serious dental problems, including eventual tooth loss. As a general dentistry practice, gum disease treatment is important to us, as well as to the health of each patient we see.
- Home Care Instruction: From our youngest patients to the most mature, we strive to give you the general dentistry information and instruction to make sure your dental health is all it can be.
- Root Canal Therapy: If you or your loved ones have a toothache or need root canal therapy, our Daly City dentist can provide this important general dentistry treatment.
Learn More About Root Canals
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes tooth decay?
The presence and extent of tooth decay in your mouth depends on the balance of a number of risk factors. This balance varies between different people as well as within the same person over that person’s lifespan. For those people who are at increased risk for caries, regular brushing and flossing alone will not prevent their teeth from decaying.
The risk factors for tooth decay are:
- The amount and type of tooth decay-causing bacteria in your mouth
- The ability of your saliva to neutralize or buffer the acid produced by
these bacteria - The mineral composition or hardness of your enamel
- Your dental home care routine
- Your diet
What can I do to minimize my risk of future tooth decay?
The first step in addressing tooth decay is to restore the teeth that have cavities. The decay must be removed and the missing tooth structure is replaced with a dental restoration. Your dentist may also suggest placing dental sealants or small preventive fillings on teeth with high decay risk. There are also important things that you must do on your own to decrease your risk of tooth decay.
Here are some things that may be recommended for use at home:
- Special oral rinses that reduce the number of caries-causing bacteria
in your mouth - Oral aids, such as special lollipops or chewing gum that increase
salivary flow - Mineral applications of fluoride, calcium, and/or phosphate to your
teeth to harden the enamel - Xylitol containing products to decrease mouth acidity
- Customized home dental care instruction
- Customized dietary counselling
Discuss these options with your dentist and hygienist so that together you can make a plan that is right for you.
What will happen if I choose to do nothing about my tooth decay?
The bacteria in tooth decay will eventually reach the nerve and blood supply of your tooth if your cavity is left untreated. The resulting pain and infection must be addressed by either a root canal treatment or an extraction of the tooth. If the cavity is too big, the tooth may not be restorable and may need to be extracted.
Don’t Put it Off: Schedule a Dental Checkup in Daly City Today!
For a great general dentistry home, your San Francisco dentist is the one to call. Contact us today at our office in Daly City if you are in the South San Francisco area, including Pacifica!
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