Dentistry: It's More Than Drilling and Filling

When the time comes to find a dentist for your child, you have a few options. You can take them to a specialist pediatric dentist who only provides care for kids. Or you can take them to someone who advertises as a general dentist — who likely has mostly adult patients but will work with kids. The third option is to seek out a family dentist, which is someone who treats patients through all stages of life. In many cases, this third option, a family dentist, is the best option. You'll understand why that is after reading about what you can expect from a family dentist.

1. Treatment for the whole family

When you work with a family dentist, as the name suggests, everyone in the family can get care from the same practitioner. It's nice not to have to keep track of which person goes to which dentist. You may be able to schedule all of your appointments back to back, which will save you driving time. And the dentist will know what problems the parents have, which will give them greater awareness of what they should look for in the kids as they grow up. 

2. Care through all the life stages

The dentist will get to know your children when they are young and then continue to treat them as they move on to middle school, high school, and even college and adulthood. It can be nice for your children to form a lasting bond with the dentist, as they'll feel less apprehensive about appointments and will feel more confident talking to the dentist about any issues and concerns that come up.

3. Lots of preventative care services

Although many dentists place an emphasis on preventative care, this tends to take a front seat at most family dental offices. Since family dentists will keep treating a child as they grow older, they place a greater emphasis on future dental health. They are likely to recommend things like sealants, which help prevent cavities in the back teeth, and they may also recommend fluoride treatments to harden the tooth enamel. As your child ages, you can see how this preventative care benefits and protects them.

Family dental offices tend to be relaxed, friendly places where kids and their parents can get the dental care they need. It's so nice to get to know a dentist and have them continue to treat you as you grow older.

Contact a provider of family dentistry services to learn more.