A family dentist is a dental healthcare specialist who provides dental services for children and adults of all ages. Some of their services include routine dental checkups and examinations, x-rays, teeth cleaning and whitening, fillings, etc.

When it comes to dental health care, it is advisable to use a designated family dentist for your entire family instead of using different dentists whenever a need arises. Hence, you can have all your family's dental needs catered to by one dentist with whom you can build a personal relationship.

With that in mind, here are four benefits of having a designated family dentist.

Early Detection of Hereditary Dental Issues

A family dentist will usually keep a record of all your family member's dental treatments and defects. With such records, a family dentist is in a position to detect dental issues that may be hereditary in your family. Thus when you take your children to a family dentist, the dentists will always be on the lookout for signs that your children may also inherit your dental defects or deformities.

Suppose your children start showing early signs of potentially having the same dental issues you had. In that case, a family dentist can apply the necessary treatment early enough to prevent the issues from fully maturing in your children.

Preventing Dentophobia in Children

It is a common occurrence for children to refuse to go for dental checkups due to dentophobia. Sometimes, the fear of dentists gets so deeply rooted in children that it persists to adulthood. As a result, some adults have to contend with suffering from dental issues throughout their lives because they can't stand the thought of going to a dentist for treatment.

However, exposing your children to family dentistry early can minimize the chances of a child developing dentophobia. A designated family dentist enables a child to develop the right attitude toward dentists because the child will develop a personal relationship with the family dentist. Hence, the child will learn to trust and confide in the family dentist without any fear.

Emergency Dental Services

In the event of a dental emergency, it can be challenging if you don't already have a dentist you can rely on. Besides, it is better to have a family dentist on standby instead of looking for a dentist at the moment.

Additionally, during a dental emergency, it is easier for a family dentist with whom you have a close relationship to fit you into their schedule on short notice instead of waiting for hours or days to get an appointment with another dentist. Hence a family dentist is the most convenient option during a dental emergency.

Cost Efficiency

Dental costs are among the highest healthcare treatments for a family. Hence, instead of every member in your family booking different appointments with different dentists, it is more affordable to book one appointment for the whole family.

Besides, most family dentists are willing to provide a discount on family checkups once you develop a relationship with them. Thus, having a designated family dentist can significantly minimize the cost of your dental checkups and enable you to save some money.

Contact a clinic like Leesburg Dental to learn more.