Family dentistry encompasses the care of the whole family, including parents, children, and grandparents. It includes prevention, treatment, and maintenance of oral health. Family dentistry is particularly concerned with oral health in children and adolescents, but is also very much involved with oral hygiene in all family members. Dentistry covers a broad range of practices designed to address all health problems with the teeth, oral cavity, and oral mobility.
Family dentistry at this site includes pediatric dentistry, which is the practice of treating and diagnosing children and young people with tooth or gum diseases and other oral problems. Dentists who specialize in this field are called pediatric dentists. Pediatric dentists treat patients in all stages of childhood and adolescence. This means that every stage from birth to approximately the age of 20 may be covered by one of these experienced professionals. Because each child's teeth develop at different times, they also follow a different schedule, and a family dentist has to be aware of the particular needs of each child.
The most common services provided in a dental office include preventative services, such as fluoride treatments for children. Other services are more aggressive in nature and are used to treat patients, once they've become ill or injured. Oral cancer is one such service. Tooth extraction and root canal treatment are two more common procedures, and some dental offices will also provide treatments aimed at reducing the threat of serious tooth decay or periodontitis in their patients. General dentistry makes use of the same strategies in order to provide their patients with dental care.
A family dentist has to be well versed in his or her field in order to provide good care to all family members. Since oral health is so important, family dentistry takes special education and training in order to counsel patients about the importance of proper oral hygiene. A family dentist will often refer their patients to various specialists for additional assistance, in cases where general care does not suffice.
If there have been any significant changes in either the household or the family's dental history, your family dentist will need to know about it. This could include the addition of new members to the household, the first baby in the family or a new member to the family's insurance plan. Your family dentist may need to know about any medications that have been taken, the birth dates of any significant medical problems or changes in diet. He or she may even need to know about current medications or procedures. In addition, your dentist will need to know about any illnesses or injuries that might affect oral health, such as broken bones or serious burns.
Family dentists understand that teeth are just as important to the overall health of an individual as other parts of the body. That's why regular dental visits are so crucial. Missing teeth, cavities and gum disease all affect how you chew and speak, as well as how your smile looks. Fortunately, most dentists offer payment plans for families who need multiple treatments at one time. Be sure to ask your dentist about these before making regular dental visits, as it can be quite costly. Check out this website at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/braces-orthodontics/ for more info about dentist
