At our Northeast Philadelphia dentist office, we provide care to full families of all ages. While dental care for adults is simple enough, children and seniors both have age-specific dental problems that they may encounter. Dr. Drew Shulman explains why family dentistry is crucial for overall oral health.
Age-Specific Dental Procedures
Oral health is something that’s important to everyone. However, certain age groups are impacted by particular dental problems more than others may be. This is where family dentistry comes in. Tooth decay is a big problem with children. Dental sealants may be recommended to your child based on their age and dental history. They’re painted on molars and in harder to reach areas to provide an extra layer of protection against tooth decay.
As your children reach their late teens and early twenties, wisdom teeth come into play. It’s often recommended that wisdom teeth are removed because our mouths are often not big enough to accommodate them. They can cause dental problems by becoming impacted in the mouth or starting to come in and causing space issues with the rest of the teeth.
Lastly, seniors also experience some unique dental issues. As we age, we’re more likely to lose teeth. Our teeth become darker as we age as well. We offer professional teeth whitening, as well as tooth replacement options such as dental implants that can really help our older patients.
Catching Problems Early
With children especially, mouths are always developing and changing. Visiting the dentist regularly allows us to track these changes and determine if problems are appearing. Crooked teeth and bite problems are common as children hit their tween and teen years. We can refer them to quality local orthodontists and make sure their bite problems are treated before becoming worse.
Dental x-rays and other diagnostic tools can look for other issues as well. We keep track of wisdom teeth and how they’re growing to determine if they’ll need to be removed before they cause complications or pain. Tooth decay may be able to be detected on x-rays when it can’t be seen with a human eye. We also perform oral cancer screenings so that any symptoms can be noted immediately.
Avoiding Dental Fear
Dental anxiety or fear can be common in patients. But if a child is used to going to the dentist regularly from a young age, they won’t see it as something to fear. Family dentistry is ideal because appointments can be scheduled at the same time. You can sit with your child for support during their dental procedure, and they can watch as yours is done and know that they have nothing to worry about.
Your Family Dentist in Northeast Philadelphia
Our office is ready to see family members of all ages! Call us or schedule an appointment online.