Good Oral Care Begins with a Caring Dentist

Dentist Blog

What makes a dentist a 'family dentist'?

After graduation from university, a dentist may choose to take more schooling to specialise in one aspect of dentistry or to go into practice as a general dentist. One aspect of general work is family dentistry.

A family dentist does not specialise in either a certain aspect of dentistry or a specific age group. They offer a full range of services, including tooth cleaning and instruction in oral hygiene, to patients of all ages, treating the complete spectrum of teeth, from a first baby tooth to dentures.

Why do you need a family dentist?

If you have busy children, you will know how difficult it is to try to fit a medical appointment into any of their lives, especially taking into account your own schedule, as well. Rather than trying to juggle multiple individual appointments with many busy schedules, imagine making one appointment with the dentist for the whole family at the same time. This is what you can do with a family dentist.

It is important for all the members of your family to develop good habits of oral hygiene, including visiting the dentist regularly. Children need to learn these habits from a young age. Having a good, professional, and caring family dentist will help to ensure that this happens.

How do you choose a family dentist?

When you choose a dentist for your family, you are choosing a professional with whom you should have a long relationship, so choose wisely.

First, you should check on the dentist's training, experience, and other credentials. Often, you can consult reviews of a particular dentist, or word-of-mouth recommendations may be useful. Your dentist should be interested in keeping up-to-date with developments in dentistry and may be a member of a professional organization.

You should also consider how approachable the dentist is and if they are able to make patients feel comfortable when undergoing oral work, particularly children. Your whole family should have confidence in your dentist, and visits must not be a challenging experience for your children or for you.

It is not only the dentist with whom your family should feel comfortable, but all the staff working in the practice. The atmosphere in the consulting rooms should also be amenable and encouraging so that patients of all ages feel confident with their experience.

Last, before you settle on a family dentist, make sure that you choose someone who accepts payments that you can afford or according to your health plan. Begin your search by speaking with a representative from an establishment like Thomas Aulsebrook & Associates.

15 April 2016