Dental care should start early and continue throughout a patient's lifetime. A child should attend their first dental appointment as soon as their teeth begin to grow. Thus, many children should have already seen a dentist by the time they reach toddlerhood. Additionally, as the youngster grows, dental visits should occur at least twice a year throughout adulthood.
Some parents choose a pediatric dentist for their little ones. These parents typically select a different dentist to support their dental needs. However, choosing the same family dentist to care for the needs of everyone in the household may be a better option. Here are a few reasons why.
The Dentist Is Well Acquainted With the Family's Dental History
A pediatric dentist may not be familiar with the dental history of the child's adult relatives. As a result, the provider may find it more difficult to predict issues that recur throughout the same family. Even if the parents complete a dental history questionnaire during the child's first appointment, the answers provided do not display the x-rays and other details in the dental charts of the child's family members.
When the same dentist treats an entire family, the provider is aware of issues that may be common among the child's siblings and their parents. As a result, the dentist may be able to offset potential issues that other providers may not easily detect in the early stages. Additionally, due to the dentist's familiarity with the family history, the provider can offer preventive treatments before damage to the oral health begins.
Scheduling Dental Appointments May Be More Convenient
Having different dentists for multiple family members can make appointment scheduling difficult for a family with a busy schedule. A family dentist can often see multiple patients from the same home on the same day with back-to-back appointments. As a result, the family can schedule a single timeslot to meet the needs of several patients.
Even though scheduling back-to-back appointments may be more difficult when restorative dental care is required, multiple routine visits on the same day are fairly commonplace for many family dental practices.
The Family Dentist Can Offer Geriatric Dental Care
As family members age, their dental needs may change. Some dental issues occur more frequently among senior dental patients. The family dentist can ensure that each patient's dental needs are met, even when the patient reaches an advanced age. Thus, the patients don't have to transition to a new provider.
For more information about the services offered by a family dentist, schedule an appointment with a family dental office in your local area.
Every time you take a bite of food, you should be grateful for your healthy teeth! A tooth can lose its health and structure quickly once decay sets in. Luckily, if you visit your dentist for regular appointments, the decay should not get too serious before your dentist notices it and can do something about it. That "something" is applying a filling. On the other hand, if the decay progresses too long before it is caught, you may need a crown or even an extraction.
We want to keep our teeth, and we know you want to keep yours. That's why we created this website to teach you more about dentists and dental care. Enjoy!