Category Archives: Dental & Oral Health

Family Dentist: Personalized Care for Every Family Member in Fixing Dental Problems

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People don’t come into the world with identical oral health needs. That’s why a personalized approach is important for patients to get the treatment they need, when they need it. This is precisely what family dentistry provides, giving families a chance to build a relationship with their dentist for life.

With this type of comprehensive care, family members of all ages can get all the dental services they need from one source, eliminating the need to schedule appointments with multiple specialists. It’s also an excellent way to ensure that every member of the family is seen for regular dental checkups, which can help catch dental problems early on, such as tooth decay or gum disease.

Building a Relationship with Your Family’s Dentist

For children, especially, establishing a familiar face is important for minimizing their fear of dental procedures and visits. When they see the same friendly family dentist on a regular basis, they will grow accustomed to the office and feel comfortable in its environment. This is essential for fostering good dental habits and a positive outlook on oral health. In fact, a Korean study found that empathy, interpersonal trust, partnership and communication are all factors that boost patient satisfaction and adherence to treatments.

Additionally, when kids grow older and become adults, their dentist will be well versed in their unique oral health requirements. For example, if a child has an issue that runs in the family, such as a genetic tendency toward tooth decay, their dentist can educate them on the best practices for brushing and flossing their teeth to avoid future complications.

Likewise, a family dentist can address common oral issues that arise in the adult population, such as cracked or chipped teeth, fillings and gum disease. In doing so, they can ensure that these problems don’t escalate into more severe conditions like tooth loss and bone recession.

The Family Dentist Can Track Changing Dental Needs as the Family Grows

In addition to treating existing oral health issues, a family dentist can also help you navigate the confusing world of dental insurance and billing. They can answer your questions about fee schedules, insurance claims and lifetime maximums to ensure that you have a full understanding of your coverage. This can save you a lot of time and stress in the long run, as it will prevent miscommunication between you and your insurance provider.

If you’re looking for the best dentist Torrance, CA, contact Madison Park Family Dentistry team of professionals today. We’re proud to provide high-quality, comprehensive care for every member of your family, from toddlers to seniors. We strive to make sure that all of our patients understand their dental benefits and can afford the treatment they need. We’re in-network with several dental insurance carriers and make every effort to help patients maximize their coverage.

Dental Checkmate: Strategies for Proactive Family Oral Health

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We know that good oral and overall health is connected, so it’s important to see your dentist regularly and eat a balanced diet. But did you also know that certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can impact your oral health, causing issues like swollen gums, mouth ulcers, halitosis (bad breath), and even tooth loss? Having a proactive family dentist can help you reduce these risks.

Behavioral interventions have been identified as the most effective family-level strategy for changing oral health behaviors. Most of the interventions reported in this review focused on a combination of motivational interviewing and health education, with the addition of community partnerships and direct delivery of health-related messages. Interventions were implemented in a variety of settings and targeted children, caregivers and parents.

Most of the strategies described in this review incorporated elements of the WHO’s Health for All paradigm, which promotes a shift in practices from disease treatment to health promotion and prevention. Two of the most common strategies focused on reorienting primary care services toward prevention, with specific actions including service coordination; providing one-to-one, preventive, oral health promotion and education for individuals, families and communities; and providing supervised toothbrushing, fluoride varnish, and staff training.

The authors conducted interviews with a variety of early intervention agencies that serve young CSHCN in Washington State to learn about their approaches and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of the strategies described in this report. Interviews were semi-structured and conducted over the telephone, and were recorded and transcribed. The final report is based on the content of these interviews.

Oral disease is a major public health challenge in the United States and around the world. It disproportionately affects populations in lower socioeconomic status, which increases the likelihood of poor dental health outcomes due to factors such as low caregiver health literacy and language proficiency, limited access to affordable dental care, and geographic barriers. Additionally, many of the risk factors for oral disease—such as poverty, inadequate nutrition, tobacco/chewing/smoking, and chronic diseases—also have significant impacts on other aspects of family health, such as blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. This makes it even more important to address the social determinants of health and create a healthcare system that puts family oral health at its center. In the United States, this means developing a model of health care that is integrated and responsive to individual needs. To learn more about how you can get the best dentist Northbrook, IL for your family, visit Smart Dental today.