Having your family members go to different dentists can be time-consuming and unproductive. Not only does it requires making multiple appointments but also multiple trips and treatment plans. However, a family dentist can help you solve this issue. This group of specialists is trained to attend to any patient regardless of their age. Hence, having the skills and being perfectly capable of treating young children, adults, and people of advanced age, makes them the best option for you and your family. Moreover, they often specialize in treating children, ensuring that your child is in capable hands.
Family dentist consultations tend to be relaxed and joyful. Accordingly, their goal is to make the whole family feel safe and comfortable while diagnosing and treating your family to achieve good oral health.
Why is a family dentist special?
They undergo a thorough dental training program that allows and prepares them to solve most oral health issues. Although they treat every patient individually according to the case, their approach to oral health tends to be collective. Moreover, they try to improve and promote healthy habits among the family as a whole and not individually.
They perform many procedures, such as:
Checkups and cleaning
A professional cleaning and regular checkups are essential elements for good oral health. They are performed to prevent and remove tartar build-ups that can lead to gums disease and identify cavities even before toothache is developed. The dentist or hygienist uses a dental scaler to clean your teeth thoroughly. Afterward, they use a polishing paste to leave them shiny and free of rough surfaces that bacteria could attach to.
While doing the checkup, the dentist will examine everything in the mouth, not only your teeth, making sure there are no anomalies or lesions. They can also take X-rays to assess the integrity of the roots, the jaw bone or look for other cavities that could be hiding between your teeth. Since a family dentist can treat your child once their teeth begin erupting, they can monitor their oral health development over time. Allowing him to make prompt adjustments and create a treatment plan that guarantees they stay healthy while growing up.
Restorations
Family dentists are trained to perform numerous and diverse treatments, ranging from fillings to simple cases of crowns, regardless of the age of the patient. After a cavity is detected, they remove the decayed tissue and restore the tooth with a filling material. However, if the lesion is too extensive, it may need to be restored with a prosthetic restoration that acts as a cap to the tooth called a crown. The family dentist can evaluate the integrity of the restorations during the checkups and fix them if they have worn out over time.
Referrals
Although the family dentist is trained to perform numerous treatments, there is a limit to his capacities. Instead, more complex and intricate cases should be treated by a specialist with the expertise and knowledge required to perform the procedures safely. Luckily, most family dentists work together with a group of specialists who they trust. If necessary, they will refer their most complex cases, such as orthodontic treatments and dental implants, to their colleagues. Once the treatment with the specialist is completed, your family dentist can continue attending to you.
Benefits of consultation with a family dentist
Attending consultation with a family dentist poses many benefits for every family member, especially the children. When the same dentist supervises a child’s oral health as they grow up, it enables him to assess any problem and anticipate future issues, managing to design a preventive treatment plan before the case complicates. Moreover, both the child and the family members can develop a close but professional relationship with the dentist, which will help them feel more comfortable.
Other standard benefits include:
- Attending as a family
- It could be easier to arrange a single visit for your family than making multiple trips to different dental offices. Moreover, this allows the whole family to discuss oral health matters with the dentists simultaneously, ensuring that every doubt is cleared. Furthermore, it helps the children feel safer as they can see what the dentist does to their parents before it’s their turn. As a result, they understand their treatment implication, develop healthy habits, and lose their fear.
- Children oral hygiene
- A family dentist specializes in the prevention and development of excellent oral health habits. They possess the tools necessary to teach children how to properly brush and floss their teeth from a young age. Therefore, allowing them to develop good oral hygiene and habits early on. Finally, children can also learn to take care of their teeth while understanding the reasons behind it and making them see dentist visits as a positive experience to look forward to.
Let’s get started. Request An Appointment with a Family Dentist
Dr. Rahaf Suede, DDS at Great Lakes Smiles Dental is trusted by many patients in Plymouth and surrounding areas for comprehensive dental care. She is recognized for her high quality dental treatment and patient satisfaction. Contact her now for an appointment Call (734) 459-9360
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