A family dentist in Wichita Kansas is a professional health provider that gives dental care to all members of the family, from the youngest to the oldest. The services that a family dentist offers cover the gamut from routine checkups to dental emergencies. To be a family dentist, one must graduate from dental school and like all medical professionals; the dentist must sit a licensing examination and maintain specific continuing education courses to renew the license periodically.
On a normal working day, the family dentist in Wichita Kansas deals with existing patients and new patients, he or she manages their dental health. A routine part of the day involves professional’s cleanings, often performed by a dental hygienist and check-ups. Both of these procedures are important as it gives the dentist the opportunity to catch any potential problem before it becomes exaggerated and more difficult to deal with. There are some patients who have chronic dental problems; they may spend more time with the dentist than the average patient. A family dentist has certain limitations and will provide a referral to other practitioners who specialize in those services the family dentist does not provide. Although the family dentist may not perform these services, he will still keep the patient for all other services.
Many family dentists have taken additional courses to allow them to offer services such as cosmetic dentistry along with the basic treatment of cavities and other oral issues. Treatments like braces require the services of an orthodontist; the family dentist will not offer this service or any extremely complex oral surgery.
A family dentist soon becomes a family friend and in many cases the patients will see the same dentist at the same practice for many years, taking them from childhood to old age. Pediatric patients require special handling because their teeth have not yet reached full development. Older patients also need special care and are often fitted with dentures, either partial or full. As the family dentist in Wichita Kansas gets to know the patients well, he or she is in an excellent position to catch any possible problems long before they happen.
Although the family dentist limits the services that are provided, they often share a practice with specialists such as orthodontists; this makes it easier to keep the patients with the same practice for daily and specialist dental services.
If you are looking for a family dentist in Wichita Kansas you are invited to make an appointment with the professionals at American Dental.