Receiving care from a qualified dentist is essential to your dental health. Finding the right dentist will ensure that you have the tools and knowledge required to perfect and maintain your oral health throughout your life. Two of the most common types of dentistry are general and family. Unfortunately, without guidance, it can be difficult to understand the differences and know which type best suits you. If you are in the process of determining where to receive your dental care but need clarification on the specific features of your options, read on to learn how general dentistry and family dentistry differ.
How Does Family Dentistry Differ From General Dentistry?
The primary difference between family dentistry and pediatric dentistry lies in which patients the dentist is able and willing to treat. Both general and family dentists have various advantages to patients depending on their age, lifestyle, location, and other factors.
General Dentistry
General dentistry, in contrast, focuses on a single age group. Specifically, general practitioner dentists cater their services to young adults and adults. In some cases, they will also treat teens, but that will depend on the specific dentist. In summary, general dentists work on patients with fully formed mouths.
Benefits of General Dentistry
One of the primary benefits of general dentistry is its accessibility. General dentistry does not require the additional training that specialized forms of dentistry like emergency, geriatric, or pediatric dentistry require and is, therefore, much more easily accessible. In the case of a person who requires urgent dental care, they would likely find a general dentist more quickly than a specialized dental practitioner and be able to receive care with less delay.
Similarly, general dentists are also a suitable choice for adults who only need basic dental care and do not have children. General practitioner dentists are more than equipped to handle day-to-day oral procedures such as routine cleanings, checkups, and restorations in adults. For adults who are not facing severe dental issues and do not need a dentist who can look after younger and older family members in addition to themself, a general dentist is an ideal choice.
Family Dentistry
As the name suggests, family dentists treat all members of a family, no matter their age. These dentists have received additional training so they can treat patients of all ages, from children to seniors. Because they can treat all ages of patients, family dentists are experienced in handling a more comprehensive range of dental problems, as some dental issues are more likely to affect people of a certain age range.
For this reason, family dentists undergo additional years of training depending on the age group they would perform on. This additional training required of family dentists is typically completed for the sake of working with children. Pediatric dentists attend an additional two or three years more than general dentists do so they can be well-equipped to handle dental issues that face children. Specifically, these dentists must be trained to handle working on teeth and jaws that are still actively developing. On the other end of the spectrum, family dentists also tend to engage in geriatric dentistry for senior citizens. Geriatric dentistry typically requires an additional year of schooling when compared to general dentistry. Geriatric dentists train to diagnose, prevent, manage, and treat dental ailments that are related to age.
It is important to note that working with patients of all ages can also mean less specialization in individual activities, as there is a much larger scope of information that to known. For this reason, it is important to choose a family dentist with a solid track record.
Benefits of Family Dentistry
A major benefit of family dentistry over general dentistry is the ability to bring one’s entire family to a single dental office. Having one dentist who can provide care for all members of the family is massively convenient. Going to the dentist at the same time as their parents also has the potential to make the dentist a less stressful experience for nervous kids.
In this same vein, family dentists can trace family history to determine the cause of any dental problems or infer which problems may arise later. Having a single dentist look after an entire family’s oral health is beneficial for each member of that family.
Family dentists also complete training to provide education for the groups they treat. This is especially helpful for children, who need to begin positive dental health habits from a young age to ensure they continue to have good oral health through adulthood.
Call Today!
No matter which type of dental care you are searching for, the team at Valley Alder is ready and available to provide you with excellent care. Contact their team today to begin your oral health journey.
