A guide to understanding the ins-and-outs of family dentistry and how it can transform your dental care this Holiday season
This time of year is usually a potent mix of happiness and stress.
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to use – or lose – the rest of your dental insurance benefits. The problem is, if you’re like most people during the holiday season, you’re busy.
Between working, cooking, cleaning, preparing for the holiday season, and making sure your kids stay focused on virtual learning, you’re probably wondering how you’re ever going to make time to get everyone in to see the dentist.
Well, that’s where your San Diego family dentist comes in.
Whether you and your kids are overdue for a routine cleaning or you have a more severe problem that needs immediate attention, family dentistry provides affordable dental care for the whole family — all under one roof.
In this guide, you’ll learn how finding a family dentist will improve your family’s dental care and why now is the right time to make the switch.
How Family Dentistry Differs from Traditional Dentistry
The main difference between family dentists and general dentists is an outside referral network. While a general dentist will provide cleanings and basic dental care, they may not offer pediatric services or treatments outside of basic cleanings.
Instead, regular dentists will need to refer you and your family to other dentists with specialized training.
This referral process can mean having one dentist for you, a children’s dentist for the kids, and a third specialized dentist for other services like cosmetics or periodontics.
That’s a lot of dentists!
On the other hand, family dentists serve as your one-stop shop for all of your family’s dental needs.
By offering various services ranging from smile pediatric dentistry to specialized procedures (root canals, dentures, crowns, bone grafts, implants, etc.) all under one roof, family dentists save you time, money, and the hassle of having multiple dentists for your family.
To dive deeper into the many benefits of family dentistry, we’re going to cover the top five reasons to make the switch.
Five Reasons to Choose a San Diego Family Dentist
1. You’ll Save Time by Scheduling Dental Exams for the Whole Family
As a parent or caregiver, you wear multiple hats. If you’re the head of the household, you know how exhausting it is to keep up with everyone’s medical appointments.
Between scheduling dental exams on time, driving from one office to the next, and having to run your insurance at multiple offices, keeping up with your family’s dental care is a lot of work.
What if we told you that choosing a family dentist could take some of this responsibility off your shoulders?
One of the main reasons people choose family dentists is that it eliminates the need for multiple dentists. Family dentists are trained to treat people of all ages – from preschool-aged children to elderly grandparents — and everything in-between.
Once you’ve started taking your loved ones to a family dentist, they will keep track of your appointments and appointment reminders for you. They’ll also be able to schedule your entire family’s routine cleanings together on one day, making your life a whole lot easier.
By choosing one practice for all of your family’s dental needs, you can spend less time worrying about appointments and more time doing the things you and your family love.
At Dental Express, we allow for same-day appointments so that you can get that last-minute cleaning in without any hassle.
2. Convenient, Flexible Hours that Work with Your Schedule
Americans miss an average of 320.8 million hours of work or school each year to get dental care. That’s a lot of valuable time taken away from your work and your child’s education that you may never get back.
With family dentistry, you don’t have to sacrifice all those hours to get your family’s dental exams done?
Trying to make it to appointments when you work a 9-5 job is hard enough as it is.
Having to make appointments for the whole family, drive everyone to the dentist’s office, and sit through the dental exams all while working a full-time job is even more difficult.
Family dentists understand that it’s challenging to make a busy schedule work, which is why they offer flexible and convenient hours.
Whether you need to get everyone’s teeth cleaned on Saturday morning or after school between 4-6 pm, family dentists work with your busy schedule to accommodate your family’s needs.
Additionally, family dentists know that emergencies can happen at any time, so they’ll typically have an emergency contact number so you can get help after-hours.
3. You’ll Build a Long-Term Relationship With a Dentist You and Your Family Can Trust
Visiting a new dentist can be scary. It takes time to develop trust and rapport with a medical practitioner.
But once you find a dentist you trust, it’s hard to think about switching to another practice or finding another dentist.
The goal of family dentistry isn’t just to care for your whole family. It’s also about the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with a practice you can rely on.
As you continue visiting your dentist, they will get to know you and your family on a personal level. They’ll begin to understand your scheduling needs, your dental hygiene habits, and more.
When you jump from one dentist to the next, they have to transfer your documents and information from one office to another.
Family dentists keep track of your family’s dental history all in one place, so you don’t have to worry about losing information or having to explain your situation to a new dentist.
4. Family Dentistry is More Than Just Dental Hygiene
Getting your teeth cleaned is important, but what if you need Cosmetic Dentistry Cary treatment or a crown?
Family dentists have you covered in all things dental — eliminating the need for multiple dentists meeting all your oral health needs in one convenient location.
Whether your child needs a tooth pulled, your parents need dentures, or you want to make your smile brighter with teeth whitening, Dental Express, San Diego’s favorite family dentist, has you covered.
We have the expertise, technology, and equipment necessary to handle virtually any oral health issue.
And the convenience of having all these dental services under one roof is not even the best part — family dentists are much more affordable. When you require specialized procedures, specialists’ fees will often run through your yearly maximums much faster than a family dentist.
Therefore, save yourself the hassle of multiple dentists and save your wallet with an affordable local, family dentist.
5. You Can Set The Stage for Healthy Teeth for Generations to Come
In 2019, only 64.9% of adults aged 18 and older had an annual dental visit. That means almost two-thirds of adults aren’t seeing the dentist as often as they should.
Healthy habits start at a young age.
So as a parent, you can set the stage for your children to have healthy dental hygiene for life. The best way to do this is to lead by example and practice dental hygiene yourself.
Brush and floss twice daily and schedule annual dental exams. When your children see your healthy dental habits, it will become routine for them as they grow up.
When your children see you getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist, they’ll be more likely to understand the value of dental hygiene and care for their teeth as well.
Your child will also develop a relationship with your family dentist, so they can grow up understanding the importance of regular dental cleanings.
They may even continue seeing the same dentist that you took them to as a child!
When you set the stage for your children, they’ll be much more likely to stay on top of their dental care as they get older. Then, they can pass down these habits to their children.
When you and your family work with a family dentist, you set the framework for healthy oral hygiene for generations to come.
Make Your Smile Shine Bright For the Holidays With The Best Family Dentist in San Diego
Finding a family dentist near you can transform your family’s oral health care — and there is no better time to start than today.
With the new year just weeks away, be sure to use up those dental insurance benefits before you lose them. Dental Express wants to help you discover your ideal smile, together.
At Dental Express, we’re here to provide affordable dental care for you and your entire family this holiday season. Schedule a dental exam online at one of our six locations, or give us a call to get started.
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