Family Dentist

When looking for the right dentist for you and your family, it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Not only do you have to choose from the many options in your area, but what kind of dentist should you be choosing? There’s pediatric dentists, cosmetic dentists, general dentists, and on and on. But which is the right one for you? We’re here to help make the process a little easier for you. If you’re looking for a dentist, we’d suggest choosing a family dentist. And no, you don’t need to have a family for this to be the right decision for you as an individual. Family dentists are convenient and a great fit for everyone and anyone. Now let us break it down for you.

What are the Differences Between All of the Types of Dentists?

Start a Google search to find a new dentist near you and there’s no doubt you’ll be bombarded with a million and one options, all who are dentists…but also different? To simplify it for you, here’s a quick overview on some of the most common types of dentists.

General Dentist

A general dentist is a primary oral health care provider that is supported by dental specialists, allied dental professionals, and other health care providers. A general dentist will address health care issues beyond traditional oral health care and must be able to independently and collaboratively practice evidence-based comprehensive dentistry with the ultimate goal of improving the health of society (American Dental Education Association). In other words, a general dentist is exactly what their name says. They have a wide range of dental knowledge and typically practice preventative care, but often rely on other professionals who specialize in specific areas of dentistry. For example, a general dentist would not necessarily have patients that are children, they would instead recommend a pediatric dentist for patients aged anywhere from infancy through the teenage years.

Pediatric Dentist

Pediatric Dentists treat children of all ages, from an infancy when a child gets their first tooth, all the way through their teenage years. They treat children for a range of conditions and diseases related to oral health, but also educate them on why dental care is so important (American Dental Education Association). The oral health of a child typically goes through quite a few more stages and changes than that of an adult’s. They start getting their first teeth in the first few months of life, then begin losing those teeth about six years later to be replaced by their permanent teeth, or ‘adult teeth’. Pediatric dentists have additional qualifications and experience in caring for a child’s gums, mouth, and teeth throughout all of these stages. After all, proper dental care in children is critical in order to prevent a lifetime of complications that can stem from lack of care and oral disease in childhood.

Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry is dentistry aimed at creating a positive change to your teeth and to your smile. Most think of tooth whitening or porcelain veneers, but a cosmetic dentist can provide much more. A skilled, experienced cosmetic dentist can help to improve your appearance, your smile, even your self-esteem and confidence. Today, cosmetic dentistry has continued to evolve to where cosmetic dentists can address functional and aesthetic patient concerns (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry).

Emergency Dentist

It’s no surprise that an emergency dentist is well, a dentist you go to with emergencies regarding your dental health! Emergency dentistry is the area of dentistry that is involved with unforeseen, serious dental issues that need immediate attention. Dental emergencies, according to the ADA, are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding or to alleviate severe pain or infection. This may include uncontrolled bleeding; cellulitis or a diffuse soft tissue bacterial infection with intraoral or extra-oral swelling that potentially compromises the patient’s airway; or trauma involving facial bones that potentially compromises the patient’s airway (American Dental Association). It’s not as common for people to prepare for dental emergencies, sure they know to go to the Emergency Room if they fall and break a bone, but they often neglect to think about what they would do should they have severe pain from inflammation inside of the tooth. Well, that’s where an emergency dentist comes in!

So, Which One Do I Choose?

The short answer? None! No, we didn’t cover various areas of dentistry for no reason, in fact all of the areas covered above are extremely important. But having to see four different dentists can be a bit of a hassle, that’s where family dentistry comes in. More often than not, family dentists provide services for all of the areas of dentistry we talked about above! An all-in-one type of deal if you will!

Why You Should Choose a Family Dentist

At Willow Springs Dental, we are a family dentist, so we know a little about the topic. As we mentioned, most family dentists cover all of your bases, and that we do! You don’t have to worry about finding a new dentist for every stage of your life, or to assist you with your specific oral health concerns, at Willow Springs Dental we have you covered!

Using a family dentist allows you the convenience of having everyone in your family treated by the same dentist. You and your loved ones are able to create a relationship over the years that helps alleviate dental anxiety and gives you the peace of mind that should you ever have a dental emergency, you have someone you know and trust to care for you. No wasting time searching for the best emergency dentist nearby that you’ve never even met before! Not to mention, seeing a family dentist makes it that much easier to manage the oral health history of you and your family. Choosing a family dentist is a win – win – win – win? You get the point, a family dentist is a win for you, taking care of all your dental needs at one trusted practice.

Your Trusted Family Dentist

Our purpose and our passion at Willow Springs Dental is to give every patient the highest quality dental care in a safe and non-judgmental environment. We will strive to make each patient’s appointment a caring and pain-free experience by listening to their dental goals and engaging with them to achieve it through education on oral health and using the most advanced technology that dentistry can offer. We want all of our patients to feel at home and to trust that they will always have first class and family friendly experience. So now that you have the break down, give us a call or schedule a consultation today, we’d love to be your trusted family dentist!