Dr. Finlay, DDS and Associates, is a general dentist in Annapolis, Maryland. Dr. Scott Finlay and his team take great pride in providing a high level of excellence in preventative dentistry. Every patient who visits our dental office receives VIP treatment. Whether you need general dentistry services in our Annapolis office, restorative care, or cosmetic treatment, we can help.
Our family dentist office is warm, welcoming, and home to a dedicated team of professionals. We take the time to get to know our patients individually and meet their unique needs in a personalized manner. Our Annapolis family dentist office begins seeing patients at age 3. We enjoy watching our patients grow with us, from children to teenagers to adults who become parents.
General Dentistry Services in Annapolis, MD
Dr. Finlay recommends you visit our Annapolis dentist office once every six months for optimal oral health. Each appointment will thoroughly evaluate your oral health, lifestyle habits, medical history, and any factors affecting your dental health.
This allows him to look for signs of decay or damage that can be easily addressed in the early stages. You will also receive a dental cleaning essential to maintaining your dental health. Our hygienists stay updated with the latest techniques and information to help keep your smile in the best health possible.
Dr. Finlay is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, a distinction held by only a few dentists in the United States. You can feel confident that we can take care of your routine care and your comprehensive and cosmetic needs.
General dentistry services in our Annapolis, MD dental office include:
Composite Fillings
Contact us if you notice toothaches, dark spots on your teeth, or holes in your teeth. You may need a filling. We offer white fillings to treat tooth cavities. Unlike metal fillings, white fillings do not contain harmful materials like mercury. These fillings also blend in with your natural tooth color.
Periodontal Therapy
You can reverse early signs of gum disease with professional treatment. We offer laser gum treatment and deep gum cleanings. These treatments remove bacteria and infected tissue without the need for surgery.
Root Canals
Our Annapolis dentist offers root canal therapy to save your teeth. A tooth infection that reaches the pulp inside your tooth can increase your risk of tooth loss. We provide comfortable root canals to remove this infection from within your tooth. We will fill your tooth to prevent reinfection.
Custom Mouthguards
If you play contact sports, you need a custom athletic mouthguard. Wearing a mouthguard during sports can prevent knocked-out teeth, jaw injuries. We make custom mouthguards for children and adults. A custom fit ensures mouthguards stay in the mouth without the need for clenching your teeth to keep it in place.
Why is Preventative Care Essential?
General dentistry in our Annapolis, MD dentist office focuses on preventative care. With preventative care, we maintain your oral health and prevent more severe problems from developing. This must happen both in our office and when you’re at home. If care isn’t a focus in both places, it won’t succeed.
At home, you should brush at least twice daily and floss at least once daily. Preferably, you should brush and floss after every meal.
At the very least, rinse your mouth with water after you eat. This helps wash away bacteria and food particles from your smile while balancing the acid level in your mouth. These things reduce the risk of plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth, the main causes of tooth decay and gum disease.
However, you can’t just rely on home brushing alone. Even if you brush at home, there are areas that you can’t reach with your toothbrush. We use specialized dental tools to clean the nooks and crannies you can’t get at home. If you don’t visit the dentist regularly, these areas aren’t getting cleaned. Even if you brush diligently at home, you’re still at risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
At the dentist office, we also perform thorough dental exams. Oral health conditions like cancer and gum disease don’t have painful early warning signs. They’re easy for you to dismiss.
Our staff is trained to recognize conditions like these in the earliest stages. We also have technological diagnostic tools like digital X-rays that detect small changes in your smile. Early intervention means less intensive and expensive treatment options.
Diet and Oral Health
Your diet plays a big part in your oral health, keeping you healthy overall. Dairy is one of the best things for your oral health. Dairy products are rich in calcium and phosphorus. Both help strengthen teeth and bones and keep your gums healthy. Because of this, dairy helps lessen the risk of tooth decay.
Fruits and vegetables provide many essential vitamins and minerals for oral health. Vitamin C helps to protect your teeth and gums, while Vitamin A strengthens your teeth and prevents damage to them.
Fibrous fresh fruits and vegetables help even more. They require more chewing to break them down, increasing saliva production in your mouth. Saliva is essential to wash away food debris and bacteria and neutralize acidic things you may eat or drink.
The worst things for your teeth are sugar and acid. Bacteria in your mouth feed off sugar, releasing an acidic byproduct that damages your enamel. Acid erodes the enamel quickly, making it easier for bacteria to reach the tooth’s inner layers. You may believe you don’t have to worry about salty snacks, but certain carbohydrates break down into sugars. Things like white bread and crackers fall into this category.
Children’s Dentistry
Children are always welcome in our dental office. We have designed a special place in the reception area dedicated to entertaining children. PlayStation allows you to play your favorite game, watch a movie without disturbing other patients, read a book, or do homework.
Many members of our team have young children (or grandchildren!) themselves and are well-tuned into the special needs of children. We believe in starting regular visits to our dentist office as early as possible to create a lifelong habit. Early visits allow your children to become familiar with our dental office.
We want your children to be comfortable and confident when they visit us! Our staff makes every effort to ensure our young patients’ comfort and safety, helping them develop confidence in their oral hygiene habits and feel comfortable when they visit with us for routine care.
The Mouth-Body Connection
This is the concept that the mouth and body — and the conditions that impact them — affect each other. Keeping your mouth healthy is important to your overall wellness because of the connection between the two. Not only do they connect physically, but emotional connections are there as well.
Emotionally, stress and other feelings impact the condition of your mouth. When stressed, you clench and grind your teeth more. This can lead to jaw tension and TMJ disorders.
Depression can lead to ignoring daily tasks and routines, like brushing and flossing. Then, you’re at a higher risk for cavities and gum disease. Depression and anxiety medications can also have dry mouth as a side effect. Dry mouth is another risk factor for plaque and tartar buildup.
The mouth is a starting point for your digestive and respiratory systems. The bacteria that impact your mouth can travel throughout the rest of your body. This is one of the big worries of gum disease. Your body responds with inflammation when there’s an infection.
Gum disease is linked with heart disease, diabetes, strokes, Alzheimer’s, and more. This is why oral health care is so essential.
More Than a Regular Dentist
We often have patients who seek care from our practice because their “regular dentist” doesn’t offer certain procedures or expertise that is available at our practice. Dr. Finlay offers a range of dental services in Annapolis, Maryland.
Our philosophy is that establishing a relationship with a dentist who can provide the best dentistry is invaluable. We want to provide early dental care before you are in a crisis and need immediate treatment.
General Dentistry FAQs
Discover more about general dentistry in Annapolis, MD, dental office with answers to these common patient questions:
What does a general dentist do?
A general dentist takes care of your overall dental health. They help prevent, diagnose, and treat common dental problems. A general dentist typically provides cleanings and exams, fillings, family dental care, and gum disease treatment.
Can a general dentist help with tooth sensitivity?
Yes, we welcome you to visit our office if you have sudden tooth sensitivity. We will examine your mouth to determine the cause. If you have a cavity, we can provide comfortable fillings. Our office also provides treatment for tooth wear.
How do I know if I have gum disease?
Common signs of gum disease can include:
- Bleeding gums
- Gum sensitivity
- Swollen and red gums
- Pain when biting and chewing
- Gum recession
If your gums continue to bleed even when you brush and floss, it may be time to visit our office. We provide gum disease treatment to restore your gum and tooth health.
What can I expect at a regular dental exam?
When you visit our office every six months, we provide:
- A consultation to discuss any current dental problems
- X-rays to view the teeth, gums, and jaw
- A thorough dental cleaning
- An exam of the mouth
- Screenings for gum disease and oral cancer
We welcome you to ask questions at your visit and talk about any new dental concerns. We’re here to help you.
Are fluoride treatments essential for adults?
No, this treatment is not essential but it can benefit some adults. Fluoride is useful for adults who are at a higher risk of tooth decay. It can help protect teeth from sensitivity. We also recommend this treatment if patients take medications that cause dry mouth. If you have braces or other dental restorations, fluoride can help protect the areas around them.
Do I need X-rays at every dental visit?
We may not take X-rays at each visit, but we will take them if you have a current dental concern. Our office will also take X-rays yearly to keep track of your oral health. X-rays help us see what we can’t with a visual exam.
What happens if I avoid a root canal?
Many people may want to avoid a root canal because they think it will be painful. However, avoiding a tooth infection can lead to more discomfort. If you do not treat a tooth infection, it can spread to the surrounding gums, jawbone, and even other teeth, causing more severe health problems. An untreated infection can also form an abscess, a pocket of pus that can be very painful and require emergency treatment.
Contact us if you have signs of tooth infection, including tooth pain or discoloration. We will ensure you have a comfortable root canal.
Do I need a crown or filling?
If you have a small cavity, we may recommend a filling. Fillings are best for teeth that are not too damaged and still have enough strong structure to stay intact.
If you have a big cavity, broken tooth, or a tooth weakened after a root canal, we may suggest a crown. A crown is like a cap that covers and protects the entire tooth. It restores the tooth’s shape and strength, helping it function like a normal tooth.
Call Our Annapolis Dentist
The time to find a top-notch dentist that you trust is now. Dr. Finlay and his team can meet your needs: a tenured team with a reputation for excellent dental care in Annapolis since 1987. Call for general dentistry services in our Annapolis, MD dentist office at 443–276–4094 or request an appointment online.