Excellent oral and dental health is critical to our overall wellness and health. Apart from having an appealing smile, proper oral and dental health can reduce the chances of developing cavities, cancer, and even heart disease. That is why having a dentist on hand who you or your family members can rely on for routine dental and oral health care is critical.
If you are tired of visiting different dentists to care for your family's oral and dental health, retaining the services of a family dentist can solve the problem. A family dentist can provide personalized oral and dental health care to your family members, regardless of age.
While having a child-friendly dental office is important, it is even more crucial that your dentist creates a positive and comfortable experience for the entire family. Our dentists at Beach Dental Care Anaheim can provide you and your children with exceptional dental and oral health care throughout their childhood, teenage, and adult years.
We take pride in helping patients of different ages achieve the healthy and appealing smiles they deserve to face the world confidently.
Family Dentistry at a Glance
Family dentistry is an area concerned with addressing and fixing oral and dental health issues at every stage of life, mainly in teenagers and kids. Although they are similar to general dentists, family dentists have more experience working with children.
Some family dentists are qualified pediatricians, meaning your children will receive the specialized dental care they need to grow with healthy and attractive smiles. If you have a family dentist, you and your family members can rely on him/her whenever you have a dental or health concern until he or she retires or you relocate.
When that happens, you will want to hire another trustworthy family dentist to help you and your family maintain proper dental health. Your partnership with a family dentist could be long-lasting if you choose a reliable expert.
Types of Services a Family Dentist Will Offer You and Your Loved Ones
Most family dentists offer preventative dentistry and oral hygiene services, although some could also provide cosmetic dentistry, orthodontia, and oral surgeries like dental implants. Below are some of the common services your family dentist will provide:
- Regular 6-Month Dental Exams and Cleanings
Regular dental cleanings and exams at least twice a year (every six months) can help you and your family maintain proper dental and oral health. During these routine checkups, a dentist can monitor changes in your mouth since the last checkup and offer deep teeth cleaning services to remove stubborn hardened stains and plaque you cannot brush away at home.
- Dental Sealants and Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatment and dental sealants can keep your and your family’s teeth strong and healthy. Fluoride treatment involves applying topical fluoride to the tooth surface, which is absorbed by the enamel, making it more resistant to bacteria attack and decay.
Your dentist can also use dental sealants (an acrylic material) to shield decay-causing bacteria from eroding the surface of your back teeth using their acidic excretions.
If you or any of your family members' teeth are prone to decay, especially children's teeth, your dentist could recommend fluoride treatment and the application of dental sealants to strengthen them.
- Orthodontics
Although not all family dentists provide in-house orthodontic services, they can provide orthodontic exams for you and your family members and, if necessary, recommend a reputable orthodontist for quick treatment. Early intervention and treatment of orthodontic problems like misaligned bites are critical because these issues worsen with time and become more costly to treat.
- Cavity Fillings and Checks
Tooth decay is undoubtedly a common issue among teenagers and adults, but it is preventable. Most family dentists have the skills and training to detect and treat cavities in people of all ages, including older adults.
If you have a cavity or hole in your tooth that makes you susceptible to decay, your dentist can fill it with composite resin to prevent bacteria or plaque buildup and strengthen your already weakened tooth. Although the dental filling procedure is painless, a family dentist can use general anesthesia or sedation on children or anyone with dental anxiety to prevent discomfort.
- Gum Disease Treatment
Although it is more common in adults, especially those who smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco products, anyone can develop gum disease. Your dentist could recommend surgical or non-surgical treatment, depending on the severity of your gum disease.
In most cases, non-surgical treatment procedures like deep teeth cleaning and antibiotics could be enough to reverse the early stages of gum disease (gingivitis). However, if you have advanced gum disease (periodontitis), surgical procedures like guided tissue regeneration and pocket reduction surgery could be necessary.
Whichever the case, a family dentist can help you and your family members detect gum disease at its onset and offer the necessary treatment to prevent its progression.
A family dentist can provide various services, but these are the most common ones to expect once you partner with a dentist for your family's oral and dental health care needs.
Reasons Why It Critical to Partner With a Family Dentist
If you are still hesitant about switching to a family dentist, explained below are six convincing reasons to partner with one for the quality dental and oral care that you and your loved ones deserve:
- Familiarity With Your Family Dental Health Issues
One of the advantages of working with a family dentist is the comfort you and your loved one feel when visiting his or her clinic. A family dentist will have access to your entire family's dental records, making it easy to keep track of everyone's dental and oral health.
A proactive and experienced family dentist will notice abnormalities and new symptoms in your mouth since the last checkup and take the necessary action. A qualified family dentist also understands that some dental issues are genetic, for example, malocclusion.
If there is a history of malocclusion or bite issues in your family, your dentist will be vigilant when treating your children to catch these issues early for appropriate treatment.
- You and Your Loved One Can Eliminate Dental Phobia and Anxiety
Dental anxiety and phobias are serious issues that even many adults deal with. Dental anxiety, and phobias can make you delay or avoid dental treatment and checkups whenever necessary to keep dental and oral health issues at bay.
If you have a family member with dental anxiety, it will help to visit your dentist for checkups together. Introducing your children to a dentist from a young age and maintaining the same family dentist throughout their growing years can help them build a positive relationship with a dentist and eliminate dental anxiety.
When children see every other family member looking forward to their dental appointments, they build confidence and become comfortable with this experience. Showing your children that regular dental checkups are crucial helps form a lasting impression about these services.
Frequent dental checkups and exams are critical for excellent oral and dental health, and if none of your family members are afraid, you can be confident they will not miss an appointment.
- You Will Receive a Wide Range of Services
Most family dentists have experience and skills in different dental and oral health services, mainly because they deal with patients of different ages. When you work with a reputable family dentist, you will have access to a wide range of services that you or your family members could require.
Regardless of your dental or oral health concern, you can receive the necessary attention and treatment services from a family dentist instead of switching between different dentists.
- You Will Receive Convenient Services
You cannot ignore the convenience and comfort of retaining the same dentist for all your family members. You streamline your life and save time by scheduling one dental appointment for the entire family. You do not have to compromise your plans on different days to go for a dental appointment, drive your toddler to a pediatrician, or take your teenagers elsewhere for dental services.
Once you partner with a trustworthy and reliable family dentist, he/she can take care of all dental and oral health issues that any family member has, eliminating the need to consult a different dentist. By partnering with a reliable family dentist, you can eliminate the headaches of switching from one dentist to another and improve your family's access to excellent oral and dental care.
- You Will Receive Preventative Care
A family dentist can help you set the right example for your children through preventative dental care. During routine dental visits, your dentist can teach your children excellent dental and oral care practices and the importance of maintaining a healthy and well-aligned smile.
If any of your children require orthodontic treatment at some point, the family dentist can provide it or recommend an orthodontist to ensure your child grows up with the smile he/she deserves. Routine dental exams and checkups can assist you and your family in avoiding future oral and dental health problems like cavities, cancer, gum disease, etc.
- You Will Receive Emergency Dental Health Services
When you sustain an injury to your teeth or mouth, it is comforting to know that you have a reliable dentist you can rely on at any time of day. A reliable family dentist will be more than willing to accept late dental appointments from their clients. Anytime you need emergency dental and oral health services, you do not need to begin searching for one if you have a family dentist.
Having a reliable family dentist you can trust means you can call him/her anytime you have a dental emergency and receive the quality services you deserve, regardless of the severity of your condition.
Partnering with a family dentist is undoubtedly a decision you will not regret. Aside from all of the above benefits, you will receive education and updates about your oral and dental health from one dentist. A family dentist will inform you about the ideal dental practices and technologies that best suit your family's dental and oral healthcare needs.
Tips That Can Help You Find the Right Family Dentist
Now that you know the numerous benefits of retaining the services of a family dentist, you could be curious about how to find a reliable one to stay on top of your dental and oral health. It is natural and understandable to become nervous when looking for a dentist to oversee and care for the entire family's dental and oral health needs.
If you are looking to hire a reliable family dentist, here are some helpful tips that can reduce your options and help you find one without a hassle:
Consider Your Prospective Dentist’s Location
One important factor to remember when looking for a family dentist is his/her location. Ensure the dentist you partner with has an office or clinic near your residential area or workplace for convenience.
Aside from making routine checkups hassle-free, having a dentist within your location can guarantee immediate services if you or any of your loved ones have an emergency dental issue. In this busy world where time is of the essence, finding a dentist you can easily access whenever you need his/her services is necessary.
Consider Your Prospective Dentist's Qualifications and Experience
Having a dental office does not imply that a dentist is qualified to provide dental and oral health services. A reliable family dentist will be ready to show you his/her qualifications and credentials during your first appointment to prove he/she is well-trained for the job. However, remember that excellent qualifications are nothing if they are not backed up with significant experience.
Also, since every dentist has a different dental specialty, you would want to ensure the family dentist you decide to partner with specializes in caring for patients of all ages.
Consider Your Prospective Dentist's Reviews
Know your dentist's reputation before making any commitment to him/her. In this modern, tech-savvy world where everyone uses the internet to look for the services they need, a reliable dentist will have a website and social media platforms to increase their online visibility. On your prospective dentist's website, you will find reviews from his/her past clients.
If a past or current client is happy with the dentist's services, he/she will gladly leave a positive review on his/her website or social media platforms. Similarly, if your prospective dentist's online reviews are negative, it means his/her services are unreliable.
Checking your prospective dentist's online reviews can give you a hint about his/her reputation, especially if you are in a new location and cannot receive a referral.
Consider Your Prospective Dentist's Personality
A dentist's personality can determine how long you will work with him/her. Before signing any deals with your prospective family dentist, ensure he/she has a "warm" and approachable personality.
A reliable family dentist knows how to listen to his/her patients calmly and compassionately. If your prospective dentist answers your questions rudely or in a way that makes you panic, he/she is not the ideal specialist for your children's dental care needs. A dentist's impressive personality can make a patient feel comfortable when discussing his/her dental health issues and fears with him/her.
Your initial appointment with your prospective dentist is an ideal time to gauge his/he personality. If you cannot trust him/her, you should look for another dentist to care for and oversee your family's dental and oral health needs.
Consider Whether Your Prospective Dentist is Licensed
Aside from being a legal requirement, it shows a sense of professionalism to work with a licensed expert, regardless of the services you need. That is particularly true if you need a family dentist for a lasting relationship. If your prospective family dentist is unlicensed, you should consider that a sign of incompetence and find a licensed expert.
Consider Your Prospective Dentist’s Cost of Services
Ultimately, your budget will determine the dentist you hire. Look for a family dentist with affordable services that suit your budget. Part of finding cost-friendly dental health services is finding a family dentist who will accept your insurance to cover all or half of his/her fees.
If you do not have dental insurance, you should prioritize finding a family dentist with pocket-friendly services, package deals, and flexible payment plans to allow you to settle his/her service fee without a hassle.
Bottomline
While it is important to brush and floss your teeth every day, excellent dental and oral health is not attainable without scheduling frequent dental visits. By partnering with a family dentist, you can rest assured that all your family members' dental and oral health issues will receive the necessary attention for the healthy smiles they deserve.
Find a Anaheim Family Dentist Near Me
Family dentistry makes it convenient and possible for you and your family members to access individualized dental care plans with the same dentist. If you are looking for a family dentist to oversee the entire family's dental and oral health needs, our reliable dentists at Beach Dental Care Anaheim are here.
We have cutting-edge technology and experienced family dentists who can help you and your family members maintain good dental health at an affordable price. Call us at 714-995-4000 to make your first appointment with our dentists.
