The first thing to do to find a good family dentist is to determine whether the Fort Lauderdale dentist is a qualified practitioner in the state of Florida and whether he or she is a graduate from a reputable program or school.  You also need to know how long the dentist has been practicing dentistry.  This does not mean a newly graduate dentist is not a good dentist, many new graduates may be much better than many long time dentists; however people tend to be more comfortable having their teeth taken care of by a Fort Lauderdale dentist who has been in practice for several years.  A good dentist usually is a member of at least one professional organization.  If the dentist has a website, then do some research about the dentist.  Take note of the dentist’s family background, dental education and other vital factors like credentials and awards.  If the Ft. Lauderdale dentist does not have a website, you can call his or her office to ask about the dental services they offer and the procedures he/she uses in treating the patient’s dental issues.

Family, friends and reliable acquaintances can also be good source of information about a dentist in Fort Lauderdale, and they can refer you to a really good one.   If you are budget conscious, ask if the dentist charges reasonable rates, gives discounts or if the dentist is cool to payment plans to patients who are in a financial crunch.  Ask if scheduling an appointment within a certain period of time can be difficult.  Gather all the referrals, then call the dentists and ask if they are still taking in new patients.  While you’re at it, ask them about insurance coverage too.

When you have trimmed your list of your potential Fort Lauderdale family dentist, schedule an appointment to visit their office.  Some offices are cool to you just stopping by and checking out the office while others do require scheduling an appointment.  When you are in the office, observe everything – especially the staff and the office itself.  A clean, good smelling and orderly office are always good indications of a good staff and good dentist.  Observe if the staff makes it a point to make the patient as comfortable and relaxed as possible.  It is important to know whether the dentist provides services and procedures you think you and your family might need in the future.  This can help avoid the hassle of needing to see different dentists for different kinds of dental problems.

Lastly, talk with the dentist.  Ask him or her about anything you need to know about them and the procedures and services the Ft. Lauderdale dentist offers.  Ask about payment plans, the rates he or she charges per service or procedure.  Talking to the dentist will give you an idea of his or her personality and how he or she interacts with patients. You are likely to get a good idea how the dentist cares for his patients. It makes it comforting to know you’ve found a gentle and caring dentist in Fort Lauderdale who will make you feel at ease during painful procedures.

The Different Kinds of Dentists

Dentists usually have different types of specialization. Most people assume that dentists are all the same and all they do is to get a cavity filled or clean the teeth.  However, the truth is there are different types of dentists and each has their own specializations.  Some go beyond the work of a normal or cosmetic dentist and have training in a specialized area of dentistry, which most normal dentists do not have.

Pediatric Dentist

As the name suggests, a pediatric dentist deals with the dental care and health of children. Most people think that all dentists are the same and so would take their children to a regular dentist.  However, the best specialist to care for the teeth of infants to young teenagers is the pediatric dentist.  Of course, the pediatric dentist will do the same procedures such as cavity filling, teeth cleaning, oral examinations, etc. as a regular Fort Lauderdale dentist, but they are trained more to handle a child’s teeth which are physiologically different to adults and thus need treatment and care designed specifically for a child’s dental needs.

Orthodontist

People often cringe when they think about orthodontic procedures.  The orthodontist usually deals with teeth alignment.  It is his or her responsibility to properly correct misaligned teeth.  It is the orthodontist who recommends and applies teeth braces or other appliances to correctly align and straighten the teeth.

Oral Surgeon

Regular dentists are skilled enough to perform daily teeth extractions.  However if an in depth procedure is required, the specialist you then need to see is the oral surgeon.  This type of dentist is the most qualified to do complex procedures on your teeth with the least amount of pain.   A decayed or corrupted wisdom tooth that causes pain will most likely be removed by an oral surgeon.

Periodontist

This type of dentist specializes in gum problems and care.  A person suffering from gingivitis needs the service of a periodontist to treat or prevent this problem. The periodontist also can perform surgical procedures involving gum problems, gum removal or gum restructuring

Endodontist

The endodontist is most skilled in performing complex root canal procedures.  A regular dentist is skilled enough to perform root canals.  In cases where the root canal problem is too deep, too laborious and too complex to perform for a regular dentist, then the patient should see an endodontist instead.  Where blood vessels, tooth enamel and nerves are involved, the endodontist is the person most capable of doing the job the right.

Most people do not realize that some of the aforementioned specialists even exist.  Without these specialists there will be so many people suffering today without hope of being properly treated.  Thankfully, these specialists provide a valuable service that helps us get through life in a happy and less discomforting way.

Pain phobia is mainly the reason why people are scared of going to the dentist even though most of them are aware that having regular check ups are essential for the health of their teeth, gums and mouth and eventually their general health.  Surely, when the time wherein drilling or anesthetic injections become a thing of the past then people will reconsider and begin to visit their dentist once more.

The use of composite materials for making artificial teeth is ideal since they look and feel like real teeth.  They indeed are the materials used to fill in ugly gaps, tooth breaks, discolorations and cracks.  Dentists call this process dental bonding because the material strongly adheres to the tooth.  Bonding procedures do not usually require a retention trench which often entails drilling.  The bonding process is quite easily done and needs only one dental session to complete it.  The cost of this procedure is much less than a crown and is less painful unless the procedure needs to be done close to the gums which might then necessitate an anesthesia injection.

Newly created composites have much better bonding qualities and they also come in a broad range of color shadings that facilitates matching them with the natural teeth.  A Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentist has the responsibility of filling a gap with a tooth that does not look like it was enlarged to cosmetically fill in the gap.  Cosmetic dentistry can take on an artistic endeavor where more natural looking is the norm of a good cosmetic dental work.  Rather than focus on the tooth size, the angles of the teeth are shaped in a way that the observer may not think that the tooth has been widened but rather that the only job done was the gap being filled up.  Since this may entail some skill, some bonding jobs fail to impress and so it is removed and replaced with a new bonding without weakening the integrity of the other teeth.

Usually a failed bonding procedure can be seen a few days immediately after the procedure.  Some people are not satisfied with this for some reason or another.  For some whom bonding can affect the integrity of the teeth, the cosmetic dentist usually advises them to use a crown instead.  Crowning is a much more permanent procedure than bonding although the main disadvantage of crowning is the flaking and discoloration of the tooth after 5 years or more.  When this happens the process needs to be repeated.  Usually discoloration (on bonded or crowned teeth) is seen from people who drink coffee a lot or those who smoke.

Bonding is usually helpful in preventing tooth decay although poor bonding work can cause grooves and pits in the enamel at the back of the teeth that can lead to tooth decay. If the person practices good dental practices, then tooth decay on these teeth can be prevented.

Very few people know that the dentist can literally save lives.  Dentists are more than capable of assessing one’s overall health since to them, the mouth can tell what state of health the patient has.  The dentist can detect medical conditions that can potentially lead to major diseases such as osteoporosis, kidney disease and diabetes among others.

Here are some signs dentists can detect and what they can mean for the patient:

1. Inflamed gums and excessive cavities – These potential symptoms of heart disease can manifest in the mouth and this is validated by some studies that associate periodontal disease to heart problems.  So, when you visit the dentist, he/she can alert you to potential cardiovascular problems, which more often than not your dentist will be the first to know.

2. Ammonia smelling breath – A breath that smells like ammonia coupled with something like a metallic taste in the mouth are very good signs of kidney disease.  The dentist should alert you as soon as he/she detects this and advise you in doing the next important steps to address this problem.

3. Halitosis (bad breath) and bleeding gums – These manifestations can either be gum disease condition or type-2 diabetes.  The dentist can tell you what kind of condition you have, especially if the gums are the problem.  Whatever the case, when you suffer from these conditions it is always good to see a physician for diabetes testing.

4. Slowly healing mouth sores and bright red gums – Potential symptoms of leukemia.  Having a regular dental check-up can potentially save your life by early detection of these leukemia signs and it is a safe bet that the dentist will detect these signs.

5. Burning or acrid taste in your mouth – This may be the taste of stomach acid which means you may be suffering from acid reflux.  Another clue for acid reflux is the steady erosion of the tooth enamel.  Dentists often provide good dietary habits that prevent you from suffering acid reflux and/or can advise you to see a physician ASAP for this problem.

6. Rapid loss of teeth – With aging comes tooth loss but rapid loss of the teeth is a potential sign of osteoporosis. Early detection which your dentist can provide if you practice regular dental check-ups is important in the prevention of bone fractures.

7. Airway blockage – A possible sign of sleep apnea is when the tongue falls back and blocks the air passageway. This can be seen by the dentist while you are seated on the dental chair.

8. White spots on the gums – Patches or spots that are whitish in color can be signs of oral cancer.  If you are a regular visitor to your dentist, this symptom can be spotted very early in its development.  As with the other aforementioned symptoms, the dentist can truly be a lifesaver if you come in for regular dental check ups.