Individuals who adhere to a schedule of routine dental services, like routine teeth cleaning, tend to prioritize their children’s routine dental care, too. Your dentist might not be the right dentist for your family, though. Children typically visit a pediatric dentist until their teen years. So, what do you do if you want everyone to go to the same dentist?
Many dentists specialize in more than one area, so a person can find a dentist who offers pediatric services, general dentistry, geriatric dentistry, and other specialties, such as endodontics or orthodontics. Some dentists only see patients for one type of dental concern, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery. Use the American Dental Association’s Find-a-Dentist feature to locate a local dentist who offers pediatric and adult services.
The Importance of Finding a Family Dentist
Ideally, dental care starts at six months of age, when a baby’s first tooth erupts. Parents should brush the baby’s gums and teeth with a soft-bristle toothbrush and water, adding low-fluoride toothpaste when the child reaches the age of 18 months. About six months later, when they turn two years old, toddlers should have their first dentist appointment.
If you’re wondering “do I need a family dentist?” the answer is yes. Dental hygiene and care is hugely important, and family dentistry can help instill lifelong good habits in young children if they are brought to see a dentist from an early age. Particularly for parents of young children, wondering “do I need a family dentist?” should also be answered with a firm affirmative.
If you’re having tooth pain or other dental issues and wondering “do I need a family dentist?” go in to see a dental professional as soon as you can. One in every five people in the United States, if not more, has at least one untreated cavity, and this number increases with a drop in the income level. But a family dentist can help you to treat the cavities that exist and instruct you on how to prevent new ones, therefore helping you to reduce your everyday level of pain. A large number of people in the United States will also eventually need crown and bridge replacements for varying levels of missing teeth. Around 15 million people will need at least one crown or bridge replacement every year. Tooth decay is not an uncommon problem – in fact, it is anything but, and is considerably more common than conditions like diabetes and childhood asthma. It’s not a problem only for adults too, in case any younger people are wondering “do I need a family dentist?” Nearly twenty percent of all people who are considered adolescents have two or more cavities and children with tooth decay problems are three times as likely to be absent from school due to dental pain. In fact, nearly half of all children in the United States have had one cavity, if not more, by the time that they enter kindergarten.
Poor dental health and hygiene can also negatively impact overall physical appearance and, therefore, confidence. Many people highly value the appearance of their teeth and smile, with over 30% of people considering themselves to be concerned with the overall appearance of their teeth (and nearly 20% will go so far as to hide their smile in pictures). Nearly 100% of all people agree that having an attractive, healthy smile can help to make you more attractive. Cosmetic dentistry can be hugely helpful for people who are struggling to find confidence in their smile and a family dental practice can often provide these services.
No matter what the motivation, if you’re wondering “do I need a family dentist?” the answer is almost certainly yes. A family dentist can help to improve overall oral health as well as appearance and can help you to learn how to best take care of your teeth and gums so that they stay healthy for years to come.
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