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Important Steps to Protect Your Teeth

21st August, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Selecting a qualified and caring dental professional is an important decision and should be considered carefully. When you visit the Fort Lauderdale general dentistry, you want a professional you can trust. It is not prudent to select a dentist based upon cost or advertisements. Having someone you’re familiar with who you visit regularly will help your appointments to be much more comfortable. It’s best not to wait until a dental emergency forces you to find someone plus making that appointment before you have a serious problem may save you time, money, and discomfort. Before you visit the Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentistry, be sure to keep up with daily brushing and flossing help to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

First, you might not be aware that there are general and specialty dental professionals. They are similar in that both completed a four-year doctorate degree, which is referred to either as a D.D.S. – doctor of dental surgery or a D.M.D. – doctor of dental medicine. There is no difference between the two degrees and a DMD and DDS have the same education and have completed the same requirements. Specialists, however, do have additional, specific training in a particular area and they generally limit themselves to that specialty. A general dental professional will be able to provide most of the dental procedures patients need on a routine basis, but he will refer you to a specialist if he finds you have a problem that will need specialized skills and equipment.

You will encounter dental hygienists in the office who educate patients on tooth decay and gum disease prevention techniques. They clean teeth using special instruments, take x-rays and apply fluoride, for example. Dental hygienists have completed at least two years of formal instruction and must pass a state board licensing examination. Your relationship with the hygienist is very important so keep that in mind when choosing a dental practice.

One of the best things you can do is to ask friends, relatives, coworkers, your physician and pharmacist for recommendations. If you’re moving, your current office may be able to make some suggestions. You can also check with a dental network or referral service. These groups pre-screen participants and can provide you with the educational background, experience, specialty of each professional and other useful information such as if they can speak a second language. However, you should know that some services only list dentists who pay to be included.

Once you’ve narrowed down which practices you’re interested in, you’ll have to think about, prepare, and ask some important questions. In most cases, the entire family will probably be seeing the same dental professional, so consider how children will be cared for as well. Child-friendly offices usually provide a first visit just so that the child can get to know the staff and become familiar with the office and equipment. A dentist experienced in working with children won’t just talk to you about dental health rather he will explain things your child in ways a child can understand.

Once you have a dental professional that the whole family is happy with, it’s important to continue having regular checkups, even if no one has any problems. Regular visits help your child develop good life-long dental care habits.