What You Need to Know About the Family Dentist
Healthy teeth and gums indicate more than attractive smiles. It reflects on your overall general health, confidence and boosts your sense of well-being. Proper oral hygiene begins from home, at a tender age, and can help protect your child’s teeth from cavities and the possibility of gum disease.
Still, there is some confusion between the functions of family and general dentists. Many might think a family dentist only serves families with children. However, you don’t need to have children to use a family dentist.
The family dentist has the following everyday responsibilities: checking your gum health, cleaning excess tartar and plaque buildup, filling cavities, and controlling tooth decay.
What Procedures Do A Family Dentist Offer?
Sometimes, your family dentist can conduct a radiograph to check for certain problems such as dental cavities, jaw problems, and several other oral issues. If they find a cavity, your family dentist has the mandate to give you a dental filling to fill the affected area.
If your cavity worsens unexpectedly, you might need a more complex procedure like a root canal, dental crown treatment of a dental implant.
Sometimes, an x-ray is required. The family dentist in South West Calgary ensures that the X-ray’s radiation effects are minimal to children. The dentist, therefore, uses lead aprons on the child and high-speed film.
Additionally, the family dentist has a significant role in guiding parents towards helping their children achieve better oral hygiene.
At What Age Should Your Child First See a Family Dentist?
The best duration to acquaint your child with a family dentist is in six months after birth. It’s also acceptable if you take them to a family dentist on their first birthday.
Children’s needs are different from adult needs. You need to ensure that the dentist you find is good with children. This is if you don’t want to use a pediatrist.
Regarding children, appointments for checkups need to be made early as it determines if their teeth are developing correctly. Poorly developing teeth will lead to eating, speech, and aesthetic problems in the future.
The family dentist in SW Calgary checks for tooth eruption problems and tooth growth patterns. They also instruct how you can care for the child’s teeth and gums while providing dietary advice. A family dentist also advises on instructions concerning the event of a dental emergency.
How Do Family Dentists Differ from Pediatric Dentists?
Comparing the two, pediatric dentistry only focuses on infants and children. Adolescent children can still see a pediatric dentist for pediatric services. However, once they attain adulthood, they are subject to treatment from different dentists like family and general dentists.
Pediatric dentists have, in addition to the regular dental education, 2 -3 years of training, special to meet children’s needs. They learn how to work with children effectively and can also professionally handle children with special needs.
Why opt for Family Dentistry?
Better Oral Hygiene
How healthy your smile is is a reflection of your oral health practices. Practicing oral hygiene as a family through daily brushing and flossing helps clear off tartar and plaque from your teeth surfaces making your smiles look brighter. If your children learn these habits from an early age, it eliminates the risk of future dental problems.
Snacking
Snacking is perhaps the biggest enemy to the mouth, especially for children. Sugar from snacks becomes acid when it meets plaque, which erodes the enamel. Visiting the family dental offices near you provides crucial information on what types of food and drinks you should consume.
This helps you manage the intake of extra sugary snacks and drinks, which is beneficial to your teeth.
Fluoride
The enamel gets weak through the acidic effects that occur when sugars on the plaque ferment. It’s therefore essential to treat your teeth with enough fluoride. Ask My Dental Clinic for the best fluoride treatment plan for your family.
Checkups
Regular visits to the dental offices near you are vital in maintaining good oral health. Experts recommend that you schedule two dental appointments annually. Professional dentists can easily detect problems in the early stages before they advance into something serious. An experienced family dentist will also treat the mouth areas that you don’t reach through regular brushing.