With general dentistry, you can get the routine and preventive care you need. At Cooper Family Dental in Arlington, TX, we provide general dental services to keep your smile healthy and bright. Visit us for a dental cleaning, or with issues that need treatment.
Haven’t been to the dentist in a while? We don’t judge! Our friendly team and dentists will keep your natural smile healthy and prevent common dental problems for long-term oral health. We will give you comfortable and personalized care to help you feel confident.
General Dentistry in Arlington, TX
General dentistry focuses on keeping your mouth healthy. This includes brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist twice a year. Routine dental visits help prevent problems and maintain good oral health.
Preventive care is also a big part of general dentistry. It helps stop problems like infections or tooth damage before they start. As your general dentist, we offer check-ups, cleanings, fillings, and extractions to keep your smile in top shape.
At Cooper Family Dental, we provide dental care for all ages. Regular cleanings and exams allow us to spot problems early and treat them before they get worse.
Preventive care helps us avoid the need for more involved treatments later on. The sooner you get regular dental care, the less likely you are to need more costly procedures.
We’ll work with you to set up a schedule for your visits and provide the care you need. General care comes first to make sure you’re healthy enough for any cosmetic or restorative work. Our general dental treatments are the base of the care we provide:
Emergency Dental Care
If you have a dental emergency, call us right away. We treat toothaches, broken teeth, and lost or damaged restorations to save your natural teeth.
We provide urgent care to relieve pain and lower the risk of infection or tooth loss. We’ll also guide you on how to manage the problem before your visit.
Family Dentistry
We treat patients of all ages—children, teens, and adults. We offer sealants for kids, wisdom tooth extractions for teens, and restorative care for older adults.
Cleanings and check-ups are the base of our care, and we adjust treatments based on age and specific needs. Our goal is to make sure every family member gets the right care. To learn more about dental care for families, see Family Dentistry.
Tooth Extraction
We always try to save your natural teeth, but sometimes an extraction is necessary. Or dentists can remove infected, overcrowded, or impacted teeth.
Wisdom tooth removal is one of the most common extractions. Removing impacted wisdom teeth can prevent damage to nearby teeth and keep them from growing crooked. To learn more, see Tooth Extraction.
Custom Mouthguard
A sports mouthguard protects your upper teeth during contact sports. We recommend mouthguards for anyone playing sports, no matter their age. While store-bought mouthguards are cheap, they don’t fit as well as custom ones.
A custom-made mouthguard offers better protection and comfort. It can help prevent chipped or knocked-out teeth, as well as gum and jaw injuries.
Sedation Dentistry
We offer dental sedation to help you feel calm and relaxed during long or complex treatments. Sedation is also helpful for patients who feel anxious about dental visits. With sedation, you won’t feel pain. You’ll still be able to respond to us, but you won’t feel any discomfort. We’ll also keep a close eye on you during treatment to make sure you’re safe and comfortable.
Dental Fillings and Root Canals
Fillings and root canals are common treatments for teeth with infections, and can save them from extraction. As part of your regular visits, we check for cavities and infections. If we find a cavity, we may suggest a filling. You may need a root canal if you have pain that won’t go away or have a dead tooth.
What are Dental Fillings?
When a tooth has decay, old fillings, chips, or small cracks, we clean it out and restore it using tooth-colored resin. We no longer use metal fillings. For front teeth, we often use composite bonding, which blends with your natural tooth color. We recommend white fillings because they look like your natural teeth.
Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings, or composite fillings, offer more than just a natural appearance. These fillings provide extra strength because they bond directly to your tooth. Unlike metal fillings, they don’t expand or contract with temperature changes, which helps reduce the risk of cracks or leaks over time.
Composite fillings blend seamlessly with your natural teeth and are ideal for both front and back teeth. Whether you’re smiling, laughing, or speaking, no one will notice your dental work. These fillings are also a safer and more environmentally friendly option because they’re mercury-free.
The Filling Process
Getting a tooth-colored filling is straightforward and usually only takes one visit. First, we numb the area so you won’t feel anything. Next, we remove the decayed or damaged part of your tooth and thoroughly clean the area. Then our dentist applies the composite resin in layers, shapes, and hardens it with a special curing light. Once the filling is in place, we polish it to match the texture of your tooth, giving it a smooth, natural feel.
With proper care, tooth-colored fillings can last many years. Brush and floss daily to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and visit us regularly for checkups. Avoid biting down on hard objects like ice or pens to prevent unnecessary stress on your fillings.
What are the Root Canals?
Root canals are tiny spaces inside teeth that run from the top of the tooth to the root. Each tooth has between one to four root canals. Infections in the tooth often spread to the pulp, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and tissues. If the infection spreads, it can reach the roots and cause pain.
Injuries can also harm the pulp, leading to similar issues.
Common signs of an infection include pain and sensitivity. An infection can cause an abscess, which is a small pocket of pus, without treatment.
During a root canal treatment, we remove the infected nerve and tissue. This stops the infection and saves the healthy part of the tooth. A root canal can help avoid the need to remove the tooth.
The Root Canal Procedure
Root canal treatment usually takes one to three visits. During the first visit, we make a small hole in the top of the tooth. We then remove the infected tissue, clean and disinfect the area, and reshape the canals.
After that, we fill the canal with gutta-percha and place medicine to stop future infections. We then fill the hole with a temporary filling. Later, we place a permanent crown to protect the tooth. Our dentist will often suggest crowns to strengthen the weak teeth after the procedure.
Most people feel little or no pain during a root canal. In fact, it usually helps relieve pain. After the procedure, you’ll have a restored tooth that can last just as long as a healthy one.
Schedule A Dental Exam Today
For dental care for the whole family in Arlington, TX, call Cooper Family Dental at 817-646-1217. We serve patients in Pantego, Dalworthington Gardens, and East Arlington. If you have any questions or concerns about your dental care, we’re happy to help!