Family dentistry deals with maintaining oral health of the entire family. Family dentists diagnose, treat and prevent various dental conditions in all members of the family. Most notably, they deal with providing dental services to anyone in the family whereas other fields deal with a specialized procedure or age group.
What are the responsibilities of the family dentist?
Family dentist performs a number of procedures to diagnose, treat and prevent the various diseases and conditions that affect the teeth of the family members. He is also responsible for providing proper information and guidance to maintain oral health.
Here are some of the most common procedures performed by family dentists:
• Cleanings: To prevent conditions such as dental caries and bacterial infections, it is essential to clean your teeth periodically. Brushing twice a day helps, but some food particles may still get trapped in between the teeth and sometimes can only be removed by the dentist. The family dentist uses various instruments such as dental picks, elevators and drill instruments to clean the teeth. Ideally, cleaning procedures should be performed once in every four months. This way, any infections or dental caries can be detected early on and appropriate measures taken to stop it from progressing and causing any significant damage.
• Dental fillings: Dental fillings are performed to rectify holes in the teeth, which are usually due to bacterial infections or dental caries. Dental caries is an infectious disease, it damages the structure of the tooth and if not treated on time can lead to teeth having holes. Most common types of dental fillings are amalgam, gold and metal alloys, or porcelain/composite filling (matches your tooth color).
Family dentists also provide information on various dentistry related topics. The best way to start would be to contact your dentist if you have any doubts or wish to know more about a specific dental procedure.
Family dentistry deals with maintaining oral health of the entire family. Family dentists diagnose, treat and prevent various dental conditions in all members of the family. Most notably, they deal with providing dental services to anyone in the family whereas other fields deal dentist with a specialized procedure or age group. The family dentist uses various instruments such as dental picks, elevators and drill instruments to clean the teeth.