With general dentistry services, we can prevent, treat, and manage dental problems to create the best oral health.

Improve your smile today – call to schedule a consultation!

General Dentistry

A healthy smile is foundational when it comes to your overall wellness. Your teeth and gums require regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that they stay comfortable and disease free.

We offer comprehensive general dentistry to help our patients enjoy optimum oral health and a comfortable smile.

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 severe risk to your smile.

A comprehensive dental exam evaluates the health of each tooth and looks 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 like 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– replace a missing tooth by anchoring an artificial tooth in place using two healthy teeth
Dental implants – replace a missing tooth by surgically implanting a replacement root and placing a dental crown
Dentures – replace all teeth on the upper or lower arch with a removable prosthetic
Partial dentures – replace 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 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.

Do I have to avoid certain foods with a dental crown?

Dental crowns are designed to be very durable and to function much like your own teeth. You need to use common sense, however, and avoid biting down directly on foods like hard candy or nuts. A broken crown is not just costly to replace, but you may also damage underlying healthy tooth structure.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Douglas Lerner

Dr. Douglas Lerner is a Gardner dentist with a long-standing history in the Kansas City area. Dr. Lerner grew up in Overland Park and completed his undergraduate study at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He worked at the outpatient dental clinic and operating room at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO before earning his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry in 2007. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Kansas Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. ...