What to Search for in a Great Family Dentist

Finding a great dentist for your family is serious business, which for some, is nothing to smile about. According to dental product authority, Colgate.com, for overly stressed working parents, scheduling those all-important dental checkups can take up valuable time. Finding a dental practice that will take the entire family, from the toddlers to the grandparents, can be an even more daunting task. But the good news is that general family dental practices, as opposed to dentists who specialize in only one or two procedures, do exist. In fact, it’s likely a great family dentist is right around the corner from you, whether you reside in Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon, or even Austin, Texas.  
 

So then, what if we focus a little on Austin. What should the folks in the Texas city look for in a great family dental practice? 

Again, according to Colgate, family dentists have been around for decades and decades. Rather than focus on one specialty like root canals, they provide a variety of in-house treatments. The Academy of General Dentistry or the AGD lists about 140,000 general family dentist practices in North America alone (Healthgrades.com reports that close to 800 of these practices are located in Austin which boasts a population of close to one million people as of 2018). What’s important to keep in mind is that unlike specialists, general dentists will treat your entire family and should be thought of as your primary care dentist. 

But don’t let the term general be misleading. Many general family dental practices also have acquired advanced training in special areas such as orthodontics, oral surgery, and even cosmetic surgery. The appealing thing about general family practices is the convenience they offer. They are quite literally, “one stop shop” operations which can take care of the kid’s braces in one office while providing dad or mom with a much needed implant in the other.   

It’s also important to note that a great dentist in Austin, Texas or anywhere else for that matter, will be able to schedule appointments for multiple family members at the same time, rather than forcing them to make numerous appointments on different days.
 

What’s the best way to go about finding a family practice you can trust?
 

Residents of Austin, Texas might want to check the aforementioned Healthgrades.com for their list of family dental practices. But you can also contact 1-800-Dentist. But that’s just the start of your search. Do your research. Find out which practices offer the best, most modern high tech and comfortable facilities. Also make sure to inquire about all the procedures offered. Does the family dentist have digital X-ray capabilities, as opposed to the more old fashioned clumsy X-ray machines? Does the practice offer a choice between gas anesthesia and Novocain?  Are they equipped for intraoral camera exams? Do they have a waiting room that caters to both the kids as well as the adults—waiting rooms equipped with video games, televisions, books, and magazines? 

A general rule of thumb is this: the more technologically advanced the family practice, the better it is for the kids since high tech is said to equal low invasive dental techniques. You should also check with your dental insurance carrier to find out not only if your dentist subscribes to their program, but what procedures are included in your plan. Last but certainly not least, find out if the dentist has a pediatric specialist on site who can treat toddlers as their teeth come in. 

Need to find a great dentist in Tulsa or elsewhere? 

In conclusion, here’s what you should consider on behalf of the entire family: 

*What precisely are your family’s needs? Maybe one young member needs a set of new braces while another only requires a routine cleaning, while yet another member requires both an extraction and an implant. In this case, the family practice you seek will need to employ a general dentist, an orthodontist, and an oral surgeon. 

*Again, if you have small children, make certain the family dental group has a pediatrician on site. It will allow the child to grow up in the practice. As his or her dental needs change with age, all his dental records and history will be on site for convenient access. This kind of family practice will not require you to search for a brand new dentist once your child reaches a certain age.  

Finding a great dentist in Tulsa or anywhere else in the United States isn’t all that hard, which should make you smile. But it does require some research according to both your dental needs and wants. You deserve a great, healthy set of teeth, and a general family dental practice can help you achieve that goal.

This is a guest blog entry.