Sep 28, 2023 | Dental Topics 3, Family Dentistry, Blog
Dentists recommend seeing children for the first time when they have begun to cut teeth, by the time they have celebrated a first birthday. A first visit is primarily about allowing a child to get comfortable in the dentist’s chair and about educating you, the parent, on how to care for your child’s baby teeth. Most children who visit at this age will not remember the visit, but it will lay the foundation for positive experiences in the dental chair in the future.
Once children reach the approximate age of 5, they will have their first set of X-rays taken. The family dentist will review them to look for cavities between the teeth and to check proper development of dormant permanent teeth.
As children age, between 6 and 12 years, they will lose their baby teeth and permanent teeth will begin to erupt. At this time, your family dentist may recommend a tooth sealant. This plastic resin bonds to the “flat” chewing surface of a tooth, protecting it from debris and decay in the crevices.
Your family dentist may also give your child an orthodontic evaluation. Most pediatric patients begin orthodontics once all of their permanent teeth have erupted; however, some patients benefit from staged orthodontics and can begin treatment much sooner.
If your child has been seeing a dentist since infancy, introducing the child to the dentist isn’t an issue; your child already knows and trusts your family dentist. If you are bringing your child to the dentist for the first time as a toddler or kindergarten student, you should plan to spend some time talking about what to expect.
Many times, having parents sit in the dental chair and then hold their child on their laps is very comforting to the patient. Your family dentist has experience in dealing with fearful or anxious children and will know what to do in each case. Often, videos or music are employed to relax young patients.
You can trust your family dentist with each member of your family, no matter what the age. Talk to your family dentist today with any questions you may have about your child’s first dental appointment.
Our dental office is located in Conyers
Feb 8, 2024 | Dental Topics 3, Family Dentistry, Blog
Every member of your family requires and deserves good oral health care. From the youngest to the oldest, each person should visit the dentist regularly. This is where a family dentist comes into your life. Family dentists treat all ages and a wide variety of conditions, providing your whole family with the specific treatments they need to achieve healthy, winning smiles.
Not every family dentist is the same. Because it should be a long-term relationship established with your family, make sure you choose the right one who meets all of your needs. Look for a practice with convenient hours and location, a clean and comfortable setting for your care, and the credentials for all aspects of your treatment.
Family dentists are focused on the hygiene and health of your smile. This includes thorough examinations, regular cleanings, fluoride treatments, gum disease therapy, cavity diagnosis and treatment, and even orthodontics.
The great thing about family dentistry is that it addresses dental health for every stage of life. Children have different concerns than their parents and their grandparents. Skilled family dentists provide complete oral care from baby teeth to permanent teeth to restorations for seniors.
Another qualification of family dentists is to recognize and handle dental fears in patients of all ages. Children may be afraid of the unfamiliar environment and sometimes scary equipment, so family dentists are trained to ease their fears through kindness and gentleness. Many of these specialists offer distractions for young patients like videos, music and books. It’s a goal of family dentistry to help children develop a lifelong positive attitude toward dental treatment. Kids aren’t the only patients with dental anxiety though, so family dentists also are able to address fears in adults and offer ways to increase their comfort level.
No matter the ages of your family members or their oral conditions, family dentists are qualified to treat the varying needs with skill and confidence.
Our dental office is located in Conyers
Dec 28, 2023 | Dental Topics 3, Family Dentistry, Blog
Life isn’t getting any slower, in fact, it seems that it’s always speeding up! This is never truer than it is for families, especially those with two or more children. Parents can feel like the local taxi service, running one child to band and another to piano and yet another to a doctor’s appointment. Finally, there’s a solution to one of the trickier issues: visiting the dentist.
In the past, parents would go to one dentist and the children would go to another. Those same children would later age out of their pediatric dentist and have to form a new relationship with a dentist who doesn’t know them at all! For young people just beginning to take responsibility for their own dental care, this can be the beginning of spotty or not-at-all visits to the dentist for checkups and cleanings. This can be the beginning of poor oral hygiene that leads to scores of adult problems.
A family dentist wants you to skip all that running around and to have your kids avoid the step of finding a new dentist. A family dentist wants to see your entire family, from the youngest baby cutting teeth to the oldest retiree looking at options for aging teeth. This type of relationship is so important. The family dentist will know the patient’s history going years and years back, and can make the best and most informed decisions based on this information.
Your family dentist will also make your family appointments in blocks. Can you imagine having each member of your family – including you – getting your checkups, cleanings and dental care done in the same day, sometimes at the very same time? This is a possibility with the convenience of a trusted family dentist.
If you’re looking to save time and to have the best possible dental care you can get for you and your family, seek out a skilled family dentist today. You won’t regret it!
If you live in the Conyers area contact us today
Aug 10, 2023 | Family Dentistry, Dental Topics 2, Blog
Your family dentist knows that your child’s pacifier serves an important purpose. It soothes and comforts your child during difficult or stressful events. During the time of infancy, pacifiers are common and valued. Extended use of the pacifier during the development of the teeth, however, can lead to unwanted changes to your toddler’s mouth.
Sucking too hard on a pacifier, just like sucking too long on fingers or a thumb, can have serious consequences to a child’s teeth and even to the shape of the child’s face. Your family dentist will tell you that you should take away your child’s pacifier by the age of two years, preferably by the end of the first year. Failure to stop the use of a pacifier can lead to extended orthodontic care in the future.
Your family dentist can show you research that indicates that pacifier use beyond the second year is linked with crossbites, open bites, misaligned bites, a narrowed jaw, tongue thrust and malformed palate. It is also associated with an increased risk of a middle ear infection.
If your infant is using a pacifier, follow these guidelines:
- Clean the pacifiers regularly and properly to prevent bacterial growth.
- Discard and replace pacifiers that exhibit any signs of discoloration or cracking.
- Clean any new pacifiers prior to giving them to your baby.
- Make pacifiers available only during specific times, such as at naptime or bedtime.
- Purchase pacifiers specifically recommended by orthodontists for minimal damage to the mouth.
- Never allow your baby to “wear” the pacifier by tying it around his or her neck. This is dangerous. Pacifier clips can allow you to clip the pacifier to your baby’s clothing with a short, safe length of material.
Your family dentist will have important tips for you when you begin to wean your child away from pacifiers. Don’t let this habit extend beyond being useful to becoming harmful.
If you need a dentist in Conyers contact us today
Aug 17, 2023 | Family Dentistry, Dental Topics 2, Blog
You may be diligent about keeping up with your yearly physical with your general physician, but you may not be as careful about seeing your family dentist as often as you should. People tend to neglect dental checkups, thinking that if their teeth aren’t hurting then there’s no reason to go to the dentist. This is untrue! Regular checkups and cleanings play an important role in your health and should not be overlooked.
The most obvious reason for every member of your family to go to your dentist is the potential medical benefits. Even if you perform proper oral hygiene routines at home, you can still develop medical problems that require intervention. Plaque and decay in hard-to-reach places may create cavities that need fillings. Gum disease can start off as minor gingivitis but worsen into advanced periodontal disease without treatment, and untreated gum disease might put you at higher risk for heart disease or diabetes. A tooth’s interior section called the pulp can become infected and die, eventually risking tooth loss. So skipping your regular dental examinations can have serious medical consequences.
In addition to protecting your health, family dentists keep your smile looking its best. Professional cleanings make your teeth brighter and healthier, and you’ll also likely end up with more self-confidence. At your dental visits, if you have concerns about the appearance of your smile, you can also get information and recommendations about cosmetic dental procedures that might improve your smile even more.
Another benefit of maintaining regular dental checkups is that it can cost you less money in the long run. If you think skipping a visit is financially smart, you’ll also be missing the opportunity to catch problems early and handle them before they reach the stage of expensive oral procedures.
It’s never the best idea to avoid dental care with your family dentist. Schedule and keep your appointments every six months for ideal oral health.
If you need a dentist in Conyers contact us today
Oct 5, 2023 | Family Dentistry, Dental Topics 2, Blog
Your dentist plays an important role in your family’s healthcare. It’s more than just a teeth cleaning to keep your smile looking good; it’s a partner who helps ensure both your oral and your general health are the best they can be. That’s why it’s imperative to choose a qualified and skilled dental professional that you can stick with through the years to manage the oral health of each member of your family.
Ask friends, coworkers and neighbors for recommendations for a family dentist or conduct an online search. Once you have narrowed down your choices, schedule a consultation so that you can gather more information and get a feeling about the practice.
Consider the dentist’s credentials and experience. The dentist should have graduated from an accredited dental school and passed all exams and other requirements. Find out if the dentist has any specializations that you or a family member might be interested in, such as orthodontics or root canal therapy. If the practice offers more than one dentist in a group, make sure anyone you’ll see has the same level of experience and training. Ask about continuing education to see if the dentist keeps up with the most current techniques and trends.
Every family dentist should be willing to work with patients of all ages, but if you have family members who are very young or very old, make sure the dentist is skilled in their specific care. Inquire about options available for dental fears such as sedation dentistry.
Pay attention to all aspect of the dental office when you are there. Is the latest equipment available? Is the staff friendly and accommodating? Are you able to ask questions and get all of the information you need? Is the office location convenient? Are multiple appointments offered during one time slot? Do they offer emergency hours? Are financial policies outlined clearly?
A good family dentist takes the time to treat you and your family with care and personalized attention, as well as skill and confidence. Look for a professional who will play a trusted role as part of your healthcare team.
Our dental office is located in Conyers
770-483-0029 
E-Mail Us 
1151 NorTec
