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Family Dentistry – The Most Convenient Choice

Family Dentistry – The Most Convenient Choice

It seems that with each passing year, our lives become more hectic, scheduled, and harried. If you have children, there are the endless school events and music lessons and sports practices. Running from here to there can leave you less time for some of the most important things, like your oral hygiene.

Have you found yourself putting off your regular dental check-up? Has it been more than a year since you saw your dentist? Are your children up-to-date with their dental visits, but you’re falling behind? This can happen, especially as we place the care of others over the care of ourselves.

By choosing a family dentistry practice, this can be a thing of the past when it comes to your teeth! A family dentist can see each member of your family, from the youngest infant to the oldest retiree. All of your dental visits occur in the same office, so you won’t be jumping in the car to go yet somewhere else, stuck in traffic and feeling overwhelmed.

With family dentistry, you can schedule your appointments to have multiple family members seen back-to-back or at the same time. This is especially of interest to families with multiple children. Imagine having three or four appointments going on at the same time, and being done after the time of a single visit! Reduce the time you spend in the waiting room with squirming or unhappy children by choosing a family dentistry practice.

Your family dentist realizes that your time is extremely important, and that each member of your family is important and valued. A family dentist knows about all of the changes your teeth undergo over time, and is sensitive to this. It’s easy to make smile goals with your family dentist, as he or she will be there from the start to the finish.

Make the choice to simplify your life. Make it easy to keep you and your entire family smiling brightly. Choose a family dentistry practice today.

Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Baltimore dental office.

How is a Family Dentist Different?

How is a Family Dentist Different?

Family dentists care about you and your teeth from the moment you enter the world until the moment you leave it. They want to get to know you – and your teeth – and they have the expertise, knowledge, and skill to care for a child’s baby teeth and for his or her adult teeth. A family dentist focuses on preventative care, aiming to avoid any serious dental complications as you age.

Family dentistry offices are generally friendly, warm, and comfortable. They are specifically designed to put nervous or anxious children and adults at ease. The staff strives to build a relationship with each member of your family, offering a lifetime of dental care and advice on any issues that might arise.

A family dentist in Baltimore could treat more than one member of your family in a single visit. Booking more than one appointment per visit is extremely convenient, and it can save you valuable time and effort by allowing you to be seen while your spouse or child is seen in an adjacent area. Don’t drive all over town for your family’s dental needs; see a family dentist instead!

Your family dentist will provide you and your family with the necessary oral hygiene skills needed to have a lifetime of good oral health. Your family dentist will ensure that each member of your family has the latest recommendations regarding brushing, flossing, and rinsing to prevent tooth decay and plaque between appointments.

A family dentist provides all of the services a standard dentist does, such as regular dental cleanings, check-ups, and x-rays. Other preventative treatments include sealants and fluoride treatments. A family dentist is able to treat cavities with fillings or to handle gum disease. Basic cosmetic dentistry procedures like tooth whitening are also offered.

The primary difference for a family dentist is the length of time a family dentist wants to see you. A family dentist can treat you for the rest of your life, and will use the knowledge about you and your particular oral health history to make the best decisions regarding your care in any situation that might arise.

Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Baltimore dental office.

What Your Family Dentist Has to Say About Your Child’s Pacifier

What Your Family Dentist Has to Say About Your Child’s Pacifier

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.

We treat patients from Baltimore and the surrounding area

Cosmetic Dentistry Options at Your Family Dentist

Cosmetic Dentistry Options at Your Family Dentist

Due to the increased interest in cosmetic dentistry, many family dentists are becoming trained to offer more extensive procedures and treatments geared to improve the appearance of your smile. Many of these treatments are quick and painless, and can offer almost instant results. Some of the cosmetic dentistry options offered by your family dentist may include:

  • Professional teeth whitening to improve the color and brightness of dark, dingy, or discolored teeth
  • Placement of dental veneers to improve the look of gapped, stained, or crooked teeth
  • Replacement of old or unattractive metal fillings with more natural, tooth-colored materials
  • Placement of crowns and bridges to repair and replace missing or severely damaged teeth
  • Correction of small spaces or gaps between teeth by bonding with tooth-colored composite resin
  • Insertion of dental implants to replace missing teeth
  • Straightening of teeth and correction of bite problems with braces or Invisalign

Because your family dentist is already aware of your family’s dental history, it will be simple to recommend treatment plans. With this knowledge, your dentist can also quickly and expertly assess if you or other members of your family are suitable candidates for the procedures you are seeking. Your family dentist can perform all the same services as both a pediatric dentist and a general dentist, and will be able to address the cosmetic dental concerns of every member of your family. Family dentists can provide advice as to which procedures are age appropriate and give guidelines for when treatment is recommended.

If anyone in your family is not pleased with the appearance of their teeth, consult first with your family dentist to find out what cosmetic dental procedures and treatments are offered to improve the quality of their smile.

We look forward to seeing you in our Baltimore dental office

The Importance of a Family Dentist

The Importance of a Family Dentist

You might have the idea that visiting the dentist isn’t that important in the overall picture of your health, but you’re wrong. Establishing a relationship with a good dentist is key to being healthy, and seeking treatment from a family dentist is a great way to spread that good health throughout your whole family.

Family dentists provide treatment for all ages. Dentists suggest that kids should begin visiting the dentist around their first birthday so that they can become adjusted to the environment and learn about proper hygiene. It’s helpful for little ones to go to the same dentist from the start, as they become comfortable with the staff and office. In theory, kids are able to go to the same family dentist their whole lives!

Adults, teenagers, and seniors are all able to visit the family dentist as well. These professionals are trained and experienced in handling dental conditions throughout all age ranges, from filling cavities common in the younger crowds to cosmetic treatments for the middle-aged to dental implants or gum disease in older adults. One dentist and one convenient location makes it easy on the whole family.

Dentists suggest getting checkups every six months for optimum oral health. That way examinations can catch and treat problems early, before they have a chance to worsen into serious issues. Professional cleanings keep your teeth healthy and looking great. Regular checkups can also improve your overall health, as studies show there’s a strong link between gum disease and issues like heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. Expectant mothers are also at higher risk of complications if they have gum disease. Oral cancer is another thing family dentists watch for during checkups. Chances of recovery are greatly increased when oral cancer is detected early.

The importance of having a family dentist cannot be downplayed. The smiles and the health of every member of your family will benefit.

We treat patients from Baltimore and the surrounding area

Reasons to Regularly Visit Your Family Dentist

Reasons to Regularly Visit Your Family Dentist

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.

We treat patients from Baltimore and the surrounding area