If you are moving to a new area and need to search for a family dental practice to start using there are a few things that you should ask about before deciding on using that dentist. First you will want to see that they have a proper license. This is usually hung on a wall in the office along with and specialty certifications. As a family dents they should have adequate experience doing routine examinations including X-rays. They should recommend that their patients have teeth cleanings once a year to maintain their lovely smile.
In addition to the normal services of a general service dentist, you will want to ask if there are other dental specialist either connected to that dental practice or close by with referral agreements between. You may need the service of a cosmetic dentist if anyone had badly stained teeth and need a professional teeth whitening procedure done. If you want any cavities filled with substances that are colored to match the teeth, a cosmetic dentist can provide this special service.
Most cosmetic dentist have a certification in orthodontics which means they can provide braces if a patient needs to have some teeth slightly straightened, or if an adult would like to use invisilign braces to close gaps the have naturally grown between some teeth. Many of the procedures can be taken care of by a cosmetic dentist and if the situation is more sever that they can handle they know when to refer a patient to an orthodontist for special procedures.
Another important thing to ask about is, is there an Emergency Dentist connected with the practice. This is important because if you have a dental emergency you want someone that has special training in emergency procedures. The emergency dentist knows how to calm a hysterical patient down and when to use sedation. Some injured patients need to be put to sleep so that they can be properly examined and treated. If a tooth is knocked out during a sporting event, it may be possible to graft that tooth back on to its root if the break is smooth enough. If not the emergency dentist may need to remove the root and pack the injury until what will be done for a permanent solution is decided on. This discussion can be made with the emergency dentist and an appointment for the permanent solution to be completed.