Hello. I'm Dr. Abalos here at SunBrite Dental. Today, I'm going to answer questions on family dentistry.
What is family dentistry?
One question I often get is what is family dentistry? Family dentistry is a dental office that can treat all members of the family. It's as simple as that. A dental office that can and is willing to treat the kids, the parents, the aunts, the grandfathers. All stages of life that is what family dentistry is. If they truly are a family dentist, they can accommodate mom's busy schedule. For example, if we've got mom coming in with two kids, we will try to accommodate so that while mom is getting her cleaning, the kids can be getting their exams and vice versa. This way, the whole family is not at the dental office for 3 or 4 hours, which is not convenient for busy families. Another way we've been able to accommodate families is if mom doesn't want to be getting treatment and wants to be in the room with her child, we can accommodate that as well. Family dentistry is a dental office that can accommodate busy families however they can.
What are the benefits of family dentistry?
The main benefit is that the doctor gets to grow up with the child. You get to meet the child early on. Here at Sunbrite Dental, I will see kids as young as two, if they're old enough to stand still in the little panoramic X-ray machine. That's typically what we take on their first visit because kids that young will not sit still for all those traditional X-rays that adults are used to getting during their first visit. This allows me to see if their baby teeth are in and if their adult teeth are developing as they should. It gives me a chance to count their teeth to see if they're on track with their development in terms of their teeth and mouth. If I see them that young, I can see how they're progressing and really try to teach them how to prevent cavities because prevention is always the best way to go. Another benefit is if I'm seeing the whole family, I get to know family history and family health history. Did mom and dad have missing teeth? Did they have braces? Often, if mom or dad were missing baby teeth or adult teeth, it could pass on to their kids. This way, we can plan for the future on how to best take care of each family member.
Do all dentists offer family dentistry?
The answer is no. One great thing about general dentistry is that dentist can cater their office to whatever field of dentistry they enjoy the most. I have a personal dentist friend who loves kids, and she tries to, even though she's not a pediatric dentist, cater her office more towards a younger patient base. I have another dentist friend who loves implants, so his dental office caters more towards older patients who tend to be missing teeth. Kids usually aren't missing teeth that need replacing. The beauty of general dentistry is that we dentists, in whatever field we enjoy the most, can cater our office towards what we enjoy. Here at Sunbrite Dental, we love people of all ages and we can take care of people of all ages. So we offer family dentistry.
What services fall under family dental care?
For the kids, that would be their cleanings and fluoride treatments. We like to put sealants on the adult teeth as soon as they come in because those tend to be the ones to get cavities early on since kids don't know how to brush all the way back there when they come in at 6 years old. When you get to teenage years, that's when we're looking at jaw development. Have their adult teeth come in the way they need to? Then we're talking to them about ortho treatment. Personally, my oldest son had a bite like a bulldog. Knowing what I know, I knew we had to put him in two phases of ortho. When you become older, there's the full gamut of dentistry, from fillings to crowns, root canals, veneers, and even implants. Pretty much the whole gamut of dentistry. Whatever treatment you've heard of, that's what family dentistry will offer.
How can I find a good dentist for my family in Las Vegas?
I would advise you on how I find things myself. I use Google. I look at reviews. I ask friends and family if they have any recommendations. I am proud to say that we have 1,500 reviews on Google with a rating of 4.9. If you'd like to reach out to me and see if your family is a good fit, you can reach me at (702) 819-0866 or you can email me at [email protected].
I hope I was able to answer some questions that you may have about family dentistry. If not, I invite you to give me a call, come in, or shoot me an email. You can reach me at (702) 819-0866 or email me at [email protected]. My name is Dr. Abalos, and I am with Sunbrite Dental. I look forward to hearing from you.