Family Dentist Services Offered
When you are looking for a family dentist, you need to find one who offers all of the services your family might need. Consider not just the preventative care you need now, but also the future needs you might have, including oral surgery and orthodontics.
If you are in the market for a new family dentist,
you may wonder what sorts of services this type of professional will offer. Make sure you find a dental professional that offers a full range of services, so you will be certain that your family’s dental needs are covered. Here are some common services offered by these dentists.
Preventative Care
Preventative care refers to cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and mouth guards designed to prevent problems. Each of these treatments or procedures is designed to keep your teeth as healthy as possible, avoiding alignment problems or cavities. These are some of the most affordable and important services provided by a dental office, yet they are often overlooked by the general public because they are not deemed “necessary.” Before you assume that you can skip your routine cleaning, you should know that the problems these prevent are far more expensive than the cost of the dental cleaning and checkup.
Restorative Services
Sometimes damage occurs to teeth, even with careful care. A family dentist may be able to help with fillings, implants, crowns, dentures, bridges, caps, and other restorative services. These do not restore your natural teeth, but they do place something in the mouth to take the place of that tooth or the damaged part of the tooth. This can prevent future problems and further breakdown of your smile.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Crowns, bridges, and dentures are considered necessary in the dental world. Cosmetic dentistry refers to those services a family dentist offers that are not considered necessary. For instance, teeth whitening or porcelain veneers both fall into this category. These greatly improve the look of your smile, but not necessarily the functionality of your teeth. Not all dentists practice cosmetic dentistry, so look for one who does if this is important to you or your family.
Periodontal Services
Periodontal services refer to the gums and the bones in the mouth. Gum surgery and treatment for gum or bone diseases fall into this category. Often preventative care can prevent these problems, but if you do have a problem with the gums or bones in your mouth, you will want a dental office with this experience.
Edodontics/Oral Surgery
Endodontics and oral surgery refer to some of the more advanced dental procedures. These include biopsies of oral cancers, extractions of teeth, and root canals. If your family dentist does not offer these services, learn what professional he will recommend if you need them. If possible, find a dental office that has an oral surgeon on staff, so you can have your care at the same place throughout your lifetime.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics refers to the alignment of our teeth. Braces, retainers and other tooth movement procedures fall into this category of dentistry. Orthodontics requires additional training outside of the traditional dental school, so learn whether or not the office you are considering employs an orthodontist on staff. This is the best situation, because the orthodontist can come alongside the family dentist to work on your family’s overall oral health.
