Michael Jacobsen

A Great Dentist

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(316) 687-4111

General and Aesthetic Dentistry

1120 S. Clifton, Wichita, KS 67218

Michael Jacobsen > Services > General Dentistry

You don't have to visit different dental offices to get high-quality dental care. We offer all the services your family needs in one convenient location!

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General Dentistry

Many people wonder if making it to their biannual dental appointment is really necessary.

The short answer is – yes!

Good preventive care helps reduce your risk for certain illnesses and can help you achieve and maintain the level of excellent oral health that lets you look and feel your best.

Providing Your Medical History

Your biannual visit is a great opportunity to tell your dentist about any issues or discomfort you’ve been experiencing in your mouth. You’ll also want to give a detailed description of your medical history and come prepared with a list of any medications you take.

Knowing your medical history allows your dentist to gain a better understanding of your overall health. After all, there is a strong systemic link between the health of your mouth and the prevalence of many serious health concerns. For example, periodontitis (advanced gum disease) is associated with heart disease, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies born to mothers with the disease.

Examinations

Symptoms of some dental conditions may be so subtle that only a dentist can identify them.

During your visit, your dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth and check for signs of tooth decay. You’ll also be evaluated for risk factors associated with illnesses like bone loss and periodontal disease. This way, potential problems can be identified in their early stages while they are easily treatable.

Your dentist will also check your bite and may administer x-rays or recommend other diagnostic measures.

Teeth Cleaning

During your visit, your teeth will be gently and professionally cleaned. Your dental team will meticulously remove hard-to-reach plaque. At this time, you may be given tips on how to improve your at-home care routine, and your hygienist can show you proper procedures for brushing and flossing.

A thorough teeth cleaning not only helps improve the health of your teeth but also makes them look great! A good cleaning can actually have a whitening effect on your smile. Your cleaning will leave you looking and feeling great.

Preventive Dentistry

We strive to prevent dental conditions, whenever possible. With regular dental exams, cleanings, and x-rays, we can often detect dental conditions in their earliest stages before they pose a serious risk to your smile.

A comprehensive dental exam will evaluate the health of each tooth as well as look for signs of periodontal (gum) disease. If we find anything that requires treatment, we will let you know right away.
Our dental cleanings are designed to keep your teeth clean and your gums healthy as well as give you a smooth, fresh smile. Our hygienist will remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. We will finish up with a polish so that your teeth are completely clean.
Dental x-rays assist us in the diagnosis of conditions that are not visible through a visual exam alone. This can include dental decay, infection, bone levels, and certain types of cysts and tumors.

We typically recommend a dental exam and cleaning every six months unless you have a dental condition, such as gum disease, that may require more frequent visits.

Restorative Dentistry

Whether you require a dental filling, crown, or dental bonding, we are here to repair your teeth, which protects them and can extend comfortable function.

Fillings – Fillings are used to repair a tooth after removing decay.
Crowns – Crowns protect and stabilize a cracked or deeply decayed tooth.
Bonding – Bonding can fill in small chips and narrow gaps in teeth for cosmetic purposes or to prevent stains or decay.

When providing restorative dentistry, we make sure that the results are both comfortable and long-lasting.

Tooth-Replacement Options

Saving your natural teeth is a priority for us, but sometimes removing a tooth is necessary to relieve your symptoms and protect your health or because restoration is not possible. Having a gap in your smile, however, is not ideal either for your appearance or for chewing and speaking comfortably.

We offer the following tooth replacement options:

Fixed dental bridges– replaces a missing tooth by anchoring an artificial tooth in place using two healthy teeth
Dental implants – replaces a missing tooth by surgically implanting a replacement root and placing a dental crown
Dentures – replaces all teeth on the upper or lower arch with a removable prosthetic
Partial dentures – replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring a prosthetic to your remaining natural teeth

A comprehensive dental exam will give us the information we need to make a recommendation to restore both your smile and your ability to eat and speak comfortably by replacing your missing teeth.

Contact Us to Schedule a Dental Appointment

Give us a call to schedule your next dental appointment. We look forward to welcoming you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to keep my smile healthy?

Many people are more health conscious than ever and realize the value of maintaining good health instead of just waiting to treat problems as they arise. General dentistry provides most of the services that patients of all ages require to keep their teeth and gums free from disease.

For optimum oral health, we recommend the following steps:

Brush Your Teeth at Least Twice Daily

Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, brush your teeth for two full minutes using a small circular motion with the bristles gently angled toward your gumline. Using excessive force to brush will not clean your teeth more effectively and may damage delicate gum tissue.

Floss at Least Once Daily

Using two to three feet of floss, floss up and down each side of each of your teeth. Do not force the floss any further than it will comfortably go. Think of your floss as a squeegee that removes plaque. Don’t miss flossing behind your back teeth.

Dental Exams, Cleanings, and X-Rays

Every patient is different. Follow your dentist’s recommended recall schedule to maintain healthy teeth and gums. For most patients, this will require a visit every six months. For patients who suffer from gum disease, have some catching up to do, or who have reduced dexterity that makes home care difficult, we may recommend more frequent visits to maintain your oral health.

What is general dentistry?

You probably see the words general dentist on local signs and online, but may wonder what that means.

Just like your primary care physician, your general dentist is your main point of contact for your oral health. General dentists provide most non-specialty services that patients of all ages need to stay healthy.

This includes preventive dentistry such as:

General dentists also repair teeth that suffer from decay, fractures, or trauma. Restorative dentistry refers to:

Fillings
Bonding
Dental crowns

Teeth replacement is a big part of general dentistry and is designed to keep your smile looking good and to make sure you can eat a healthy diet.

Bridges
Partial dentures
Dentures

Since cosmetic dentistry is not a dental specialty, most general dentists are the ones who will be designing a beautiful smile and offering enhancements such as:

Teeth whitening
Cosmetic bonding
Tooth-colored fillings and crowns
Porcelain veneers

If you have a dental question, need help or advice, your general or family dentist will be able to make treatment recommendations for you. If you require a trip to a specialist, general dentists usually have specialists in their professional network that they know and trust.

Can you take care of all of my dental needs?

As a general dentistry practice, we take care of most of the dental needs that arise on a day-to-day basis by supporting good oral health and wellness using preventive, restorative, and teeth replacement dentistry services. Dental exams, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns, bridges, and dentures are all part of what we do here in our office.

We are also here to answer questions about your oral health and to educate patients on the importance of healthy teeth and gums.

In our office, we also offer cosmetic dentistry enhancements to improve the way you feel about the appearance of your smile. We can discuss this with you at your regular dental exam or we can schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation.

Each patient is different. While we strive to provide most of the care you need here in our office, we want what is best for you and will refer you to treatment with a specialist when necessary.

Our goal is to help our patients maintain good overall health by promoting the health of their teeth and gums. We will let you know if we find any conditions that require treatment so that you and your dentist can discuss which options will work best for you.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Michael Jacobsen

Dr. Michael Jacobsen has had the pleasure of serving the Wichita community and surrounding areas with the highest standard of cares since 1993. He attended Kearney State College and was ...