What is family dentistry and how can it help improve oral health

Family dentistry refers to a one-stop dentistry branch that specializes in dental treatments available for all age groups. However, family dentists specialize and focus mainly on children’s and adolescents’ dental health. The primary aim of family dentistry is to provide the patient with preventive dentistry and restorative dentistry.

They help in improving the oral health of the patient in the following ways.

 

All age groups are included in family dentistry

Family dentistry specializes in giving preventive care and proper treatment to patients of all age groups. But it should also be noted that family dentistry can not only provide solutions for different individuals but can also provide dental assistance to an individual patient throughout their life. That is to say, the patient can receive dental treatments and check-ups from infancy to adulthood from the same family dentist of choice. Such dentistry also helps maintain consistency and stability in various dental treatments and their results. Also, visiting the same dentist help in keeping track of dental health and helps in keeping personal data as private as possible.

 

Family dentistry vs. general dentistry

Family dentistry focuses on improvising the oral health conditions of an individual throughout his life. Whereas, general dentistry restricts itself to a certain age group and doesn’t particularly have any specializations in it. One should reach their general dentist when they require basic dental procedures like teeth cleaning, teeth whitening, etc.

Family dentistry is a much more advanced choice as such dentists can even describe an oral healthcare routine for a baby. It is also an ideal choice if the patient wants the same dentist to look after the entire family.

 

Family dentistry vs. paediatric dentistry

Although it is very common for family dentists to specialize in children’s dental healthcare practices, they are still very different from paediatric dentists. Paediatric dentistry focuses on dental practices to be performed on children younger than 18 years of age.

Paediatric dentists are certified to look after children’s teeth and are qualified to give proper treatment.  Paediatric dentists perform a very crucial role in detecting the patient’s risk of developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and other fatal diseases just by examining the teeth thoroughly.

 

Family dentistry – through different ages

Dental care for babies: Typically, babies develop their first tooth around the age of 6 months. The parents are advised to make the baby regularly visit the dentist for proper maintenance of the new milk teeth. Also, milk teeth are very prone to cavities and decay, so the family dentist can really help out the parents in managing delicate, new teeth.

Dental care for children: During early childhood, children begin losing milk teeth and start growing permanent sets of teeth. During this phase, it is essential to take good care of teeth and maintain oral hygiene. The family dentist can even help establish a good oral health care routine for the child to follow on a daily basis.

Dental care for teenagers and young adults: The most common treatments received by teenagers are braces and Invisalign aligners as they help in settling down crooked teeth. It is important to mention that even if the patient can properly take care of his teeth on his own, teenagers’ teeth are still very much prone to cavities, tooth loss, gum diseases, etc. So, it becomes essential to take the help of the family dentist and regularly practice good oral hygiene practices.

Dental care for adults: Just like teenagers, even if the adult patient is capable of carrying out good hygiene practices, the teeth remain vulnerable to various dental ailments such as tooth loss, tooth decay, etc. Even with the bustle of a busy life, the patient must not forget to follow the regular dental healthcare routine to maintain oral health and hygiene.

 

Various options available

Family dentistry helps to improve the oral health of the patients by providing various options to restore dental health. Let us understand more about the various treatments available.

Regular cleaning: Regular dental cleaning is the most basic facility available at the family dentists. It helps in keeping the teeth clean and helps remove any food particles stuck in between teeth. Such procedures also involve a dental examination, so various diseases can be caught before they develop into their more serious versions.

Gum disease treatments: Periodontal maintenance, scaling and root planing, etc. are some procedures performed for maintaining gum health.

Cavity fillers: The family dentist makes sure to cover up for cavities and caries as these can affect any age group. Even most of the family dentists specialize in cavity filling.

Fluoride treatments: Fluoride seems to be the backbone of most dental procedures. It is included in gels, toothpastes, etc. dental products. It helps keep the teeth surface clean and strengthens the teeth. It also makes the teeth resistant to microbial attack.

Orthodontics: Basic orthodontic treatments like braces, teeth whitening treatments, etc. can be performed with ease at the family dentist’s office. Whereas for the complex procedures under orthodontics, the patient will be referred to another dentist referred by the family dentist.

 

Elimination of dental anxiety

It is very common for patients to experience dental anxiety as the majority of dental treatments involve sitting on a dental chair and the dentist peeking right into your mouth with a large overhead lamp. This sight is horrifying to some patients. It is so unsettling for them that they avoid getting any dental check-ups or treatments at all.

 

At a family dentist, this situation is very much under control. Since the patient has already known the dentist since a very young age, he is already familiar with the techniques performed by the particular dentist and is no longer afraid. Also, even if the patient suffers from anxiety of any kind, the dentist can calmly explain the procedure and take steps to ensure that the procedure will begin only if they feel comfortable enough.

Thinking of finding a dentist for the whole family? Check your nearest family dental clinic.