A family dentist is a professional health provider that gives dental care to all members of the family, from the youngest to the oldest. The services that are available from a clinic that offers family dentistry in Colorado Springs CO cover the gamut from six monthly 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 periodically renew their license.
On any given day the family dentist goes about dealing with his or her regular patients and receiving new patients, the dentist is responsible for managing their complete dental health. Any family dentistry in Colorado Springs CO will deal with regular cleanings and check-ups, often the cleanings will be done by an oral hygienist. Both professional cleanings and regular checkups are about the most important thing a person can do for their oral health, it is at these times when the family dentist can spot any small anomalies which, if left untreated, will quickly become a significant problem. The dentist will have some patients who have chronic dental problems and these people will spend far more time with the dentist than the average patient will. A family dentist will usually have several limitations on the procedures he or she can handle and will refer the patients to specialists. Patients of course will stay with their family dentist for all other general dental 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 dentist who practices family dentistry in Colorado Springs CO will often stay with the patient for many years, working with them from childhood through their teen years and into adulthood. Children need special care as their teeth have not yet matured and their oral cavity has not yet grown to its full extent. Older patients also need special care and often are fitted with dentures which require periodic work to keep them comfortable. As the family dentist gets to know the patients well, he or she is in an excellent position to catch any possible problems long before they happen.
Full family dentistry in Colorado Springs CO is available from Lehman Drive Dental. Dr. Marc R. Van Ness offers complete general dental services as well as cosmetic dental procedures, treatment for TMJ and treatment of periodontal diseases amongst others.
