Family & General Dentistry
General Dentistry in San Clemente
The everyday care that keeps the bigger treatments from becoming necessary.
General dentistry is the routine work: examinations, cleaning, fillings, crowns and the occasional extraction. It is the least dramatic part of dentistry and the part that does most of the work.
Dentistry for the whole household.
About General Dentistry
Care for the whole household
A family practice has to cope with a five-year-old first check-up and a complicated restoration in the same afternoon. Ours does, and treatment is tailored to each patient rather than to a standard schedule – including services for children, so the whole family can be seen in one place.
What We Cover
The services general dentistry includes
Routine cleanings through to more complex procedures, all under one roof.
- Exams and X-rays Assessing the teeth, gums and oral structures, with images to detect cavities, infection or bone abnormalities.
- Teeth cleaning Removing plaque, tartar and surface stains to maintain oral health and prevent gum disease.
- Crowns and bridges Repairing or replacing damaged and missing teeth.
- Extractions Removing a tooth where severe decay, infection or overcrowding makes it necessary.
For Families
Seeing the whole family
Treating a family together is easier on everybody, and it means one set of records and one relationship.
- Children Services tailored to children, so early visits are calm ones.
- Teenagers The years when alignment and hygiene habits both need attention.
- Adults Routine care, restorative work and anything that has been put off.
- Seniors Care that accounts for existing dental work and changing needs.
Prevention
Why the routine visit is the important one
Almost everything on this site exists because something was left too long. The six-monthly appointment is the one that stops most of it, and it is the cheapest and quickest visit you will ever have.
- Problems found early Decay and gum disease are silent long before they hurt.
- Smaller treatment A cavity found early is a filling. Left, it becomes a crown or a root canal.
- A record over time Seeing the same mouth every six months is how change gets noticed.
- Advice that fits you Hygiene guidance based on what your own teeth are actually doing.
Our Approach
A welcoming place to be treated
Most people who are nervous about dentistry are nervous because of an experience somewhere else. The practice is set up to make a visit a straightforward thing: you are told what is happening, asked before it happens, and nothing is done to you that you have not agreed to.
New Patients
Joining the practice
Talega Dental Group has looked after families in San Clemente since 2003 and takes new patients from across south Orange County. A first visit is an examination and a conversation, not a sales appointment.
The short answer
General dentistry is the routine care that keeps your teeth and gums healthy, including examinations and X-rays, professional cleaning, fillings, crowns and bridges, and extractions when they are needed. Its main job is prevention: regular visits find decay and gum disease early, while the treatment is still small. It covers patients of every age, so a whole family can be seen at one practice.
Common Questions
General Dentistry FAQ
- What does general dentistry include?
General dentistry includes examinations and X-rays, teeth cleaning, crowns and bridges, extractions and the routine restorative work that keeps a mouth healthy. Examinations assess the teeth, gums and oral structures, and X-rays help detect cavities, infection or bone abnormalities. Cleaning removes plaque, tartar and surface stains to help prevent gum disease. Extractions are carried out with local anesthetic where severe decay, infection or overcrowding makes them necessary.
- Do you see children?
Yes. We offer family dental care, including services tailored to children, so the whole family can be seen at one practice. That means one set of records and one relationship for everyone, from a first check-up to care for teenagers, adults and seniors. For children, the aim is that early visits are calm ones.
- How often should I come in?
Most patients are seen every six months for an examination and cleaning. Some need to be seen more often, and we will tell you which applies to you. Regular visits matter because decay and gum disease are silent long before they hurt, and seeing the same mouth over time is how change gets noticed.
- I have not been to a dentist in years – is that a problem?
No, and it is more common than you would think. We start with an examination, tell you what we find, and agree an order to work through it. Nothing is done that you have not agreed to, and you are told what is happening before it happens.
- Are you taking new patients?
Yes. We take new patients from the local area and the surrounding communities. A first visit is an examination and a conversation, not a sales appointment.
- What happens at a first appointment?
A first appointment is a thorough examination, including X-rays where they are warranted, a review of your medical history, and a conversation about what, if anything, needs doing. It is a chance to talk about anything you want looked at. Any treatment that follows is agreed with you first.
- What does a first visit involve?
A first visit involves a thorough examination, X-rays where they are warranted, a review of your medical history and a conversation about anything you want looked at. Nothing is done to you at that appointment without agreeing it first. From there, if anything needs treatment, we agree the order to work through it together.
- Do you take emergencies?
Yes. Same-day appointments are kept for urgent cases, and we take walk-ins. If you are in significant pain, something has broken or there is swelling, call the office and describe what has happened.
Book a visit
Plan your visit
We accept new patients and offer walk-in emergency care.
Address
Phone
Office hours
Your dentist
Dr. Ben Meshkinfam, D.D.S.
University of the Pacific, D.D.S. · Post-doctorate at LAC+USC Medical Center
Insurance & financing
30 HMO and PPO plans accepted
Including Delta Dental, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Guardian, MetLife and Humana. Estimates in writing before treatment.
