Nearly everyone cares about the health of their teeth, since a mouth of healthy teeth means a great smile and very few dental problems to deal with. Every year, tens of millions of Americans take themselves to the dentist office for checkups and cleaning, and responsible parents will take their children to a pediatric dental practice or a family dentist office for care. In fact, dentistry ranks today in the top 10 most trusted and ethical professions in the United States, and graduates of dental school may expect a lot of job opportunities out there. If someone doesn’t already know some local dentist offices or pediatric dental clinics, these clients can look them up. If someone moves to a new city or county, for example, they may want to look up their dental options in the area. This may also be done when your child first becomes old enough to need regular dental visits.
Finding a Fine Dentist
If a person does not already have good personal references for finding local dentist offices, they can look up local dentists online. This may be especially important in a large city like Miami or Boston, where there are many options. An interested client may start by entering the type of dentist they are looking for, such as cosmetic dentists, pediatric dentists, or anything else. The client should also specify their town or city name, and they can also enter their ZIP code to keep the results as local as possible. A good search might look like “best dentist offices in lower Manhattan” or “top rated pediatric dentists in coral gables FL”. This may bring up a whole list of results.
The client may strike out dental offices that are too far away or those that aren’t accepting new patients anyway, and then tour the rest and visit them in person. When visiting in person, a client may get a fair impression of the dentist office, and they can also consult the staff and review the credentials of each dentist and dental assistant working there. The client may review each dentist’s work history, educational background, and any awards or recognition they may have. And if the client is looking for a pediatric or family dentist office, they can bring along their child so that youngster can also form a fair impression. After all, it’s important to know that the child will feel comfortable when visiting the dentist for care. The family may visit a number of dentists like this until they find the best one for their needs, and sign up as regular patients.
Pediatric Dentistry
Starting at age two (or even one and a half), children should be brought to the dentist for care, often for routine checkups and cleaning. That, and young patients may get sealant put on their teeth to reinforce them, and children may also get braces fitted on to keep their teeth straight. A child may also be given free toothbrushes and toothpaste and may be told proper dental care habits, such as brushing their teeth after every meal. Children may also be advised to wear a mouth guard when playing sports, and they may be told to not chew on hard items such as ice cubes. A pediatric dentist may also tell the child what to expect when their baby teeth start coming loose.
Cosmetic Dentistry
This branch of dentistry concerns itself with the appearance and shape of adult patient teeth. A good example of this is tooth whitening, such as the use of certain gels and pastes to whiten the patient’s tooth enamel. Otherwise, patients may have porcelain veneers fitted onto their teeth to restore their color. Use of tobacco or tartar buildup can cause discoloration in teeth, and most people with discolored teeth are very uncomfortable with that.
Dental implants can restore a tooth’s shape or replace the entire thing. Crowns can be fitted over worn down or cracked teeth to protect them and restore the tooth’s full shape, and this makes eating and speech easier. A dental bridge, meanwhile, is a realistic replica tooth that fits into a tooth gap. It is held in place with covers that slip over the real teeth flanking the gap, and bridges can restore the patient’s smile.
