What Does a Family Dentist Do?
A Family Dentist / General Dentist is the main source of optimum oral health care for you and your family. Although similar, a general dentist may also perform a certain number of dental procedures beyond routine dental care. By talking to your family dentist and following his or her recommendations, you can work together to maintain your family’s oral health and win the fight against gum disease.
Everyone in your family should see the dentist at least twice a year. You’ll want to choose a dental professional who will be your front-line partner in preventing gum disease and keeping your family healthy.
A family dentist will:
- Take regular X-rays of your mouth to look for decay and gum disease.
- Provide a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth.
- Apply fluoride treatments.
- Diagnose and treat early signs of tooth decay.
- Perform dental procedures such as fillings.
- Look for initial signs of oral cancer.
- Maintain records of your oral health.
- Handle emergency dental care situations.
- Refer you to dental specialists when needed.
A family dentist should also educate you and your family about good oral hygiene, teaching the basics of brushing and flossing. The dentist should provide education on other topics about oral health, such as diet and nutrition, general health, and injury prevention.
How to Choose a Family Dentist
- Use the information at Dental-Consultants.com to help narrow down your choices.
- Don’t just choose a dentist for yourself. Make sure the dentist is someone who can relate to everyone in your family, from youngest to oldest.
- If you’re looking for a family dentist, ask about any special techniques they use to care for children.
- Find out if the practice is using the latest equipment to minimize pain and maximize results.
- Check out their dental qualifications. The basic dental degree is a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). Also, ask about any additional certifications for child care or any continuing education classes on dental procedures.
- Ask about privacy standards.
- Ask for patient referrals.
- Find out if they have any additional patient education information, such as a newsletter or website.
Dental-Consultants.com is your go-to source for dental information and dental education. Use our dental profiles to help find a family dentist for your family because Dental-Consultants.com is “where patients and dentists connect.”
