Wednesday, April 6, 2011

What Family Dentistry Means...Teaching Teens

What does family dentistry mean? In our office, it means that we provide comprehensive dental care to your entire family. It means that our family takes care of your family. It means that we care about our staff like they are members of our family.
Since this is at the heart of our mission statement, we have alot to say about family dentistry.
For the most part, teenagers can be prone to tooth decay. This can be due to less than diligent oral hygiene, poor diet choices, or a genetic predisposition to decay. Teens as a general rule don't listen to their parents, even about oral hygiene. Teen should be brushing and flossing ideally three times a day. Most do not comply with this recommendation. Our hygienist routinely encourages our teen patients to improve their habits. Teens make many poor decisions regarding their diet. They love sugary carbonated soft drinks. We try to educate them on the importance of brushing and flossing after enjoying soft drinks. Minimally, they should rinse with water. If teens were lucky enough to receive orthodontic treatment, wearing their retainer as prescribed by their orthodontist is important to preserve their new beautiful smile. If they have a permanent retainer, oral hygiene is imperative to prevent decay from forming around the hardware.

Brian Johnson, DMD

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