Dentistry for Teenage Patients: What to Expect
The team at Nordhus Dentistry prides itself on custom care for patients at various stages of life. When you're a teenager, your dental health needs are much different than your parents' needs, and even more different from your grandparents' needs. This focus on custom care is what makes us such a trusted Wichita restorative dentistry center.
We'd like to take a brief moment to consider the dental care needs of teenage patients. This will help you understand why there is never a one-size-fits-all approach to dentistry.
Orthodontic Care
Orthodontic care is one of the staples o teenage dentistry. Many teens have teeth that are crooked, poorly aligned, or poorly spaced. In order to address these issues, traditional braces, clear braces, and other approaches to addressing malocclusion may be used.
Orthodontic treatments will be carefully tailored to the needs of each patient to ensure that their smiles are properly realigned. For some patients, teenage orthodontics will help finish orthodontic work started in childhood so that the patient has a healthy and beautiful smile as an adult.
Mouth Guards and Services for Student Athletes
Many teenagers participate in school sports. Whether they're playing football, basketball, soccer, or on the wrestling team, their safety should always be a primary concern. This is why dentists can take special care when it comes to student athletes.
First off, dentists can craft custom mouth guards for student athletes. These mouth guards are protective retainers that help protect the teeth from chips, cracks, and other harm. In addition, dentists can perform emergency dental care services if a student athlete suffers from a tooth fracture or other type of dental injury as a result of practice or competition.
Monitoring Wisdom Teeth
Monitoring the emergence of wisdom teeth is one of the most important things that a dentist does for teenage patients. Wisdom teeth are third sets of molars that emerge during the later teens and early twenties. While wisdom teeth may come in straight in some patients, many patients experience impacted wisdom teeth. In other words, their wisdom teeth come in crooked, which can press against other teeth and cause serious pain and discomfort in the process.
With each dental visit, dentists will take x-rays and determine when these wisdom teeth should be removed. This is an oral surgery procedure that is relatively routine, and typically takes place in the late teens.
Stressing Proper Oral Hygiene
Sometimes the best thing a dentist can do for teenage patients is stress the importance of preventative care. At each visit, teenage patients will receive primers on good oral hygiene habits. This include information on the importance of brushing and flossing, as well as good dietary habits to follow to protect themselves from tooth decay and gum disease.
Back to Basics: General Dental Care
As always, general dental care services should never be taken for granted. Teenage patients, like patients of all ages, will undergo routine cleanings and other services that help prevent problems and address minor problems before they become major ones.
Learn More About Teenage Dental Care Needs
For more information about dental care for teenager and how we can help your smile stay healthy for years to come, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. The team at Nordhus Dentistry is here to help you have the healthiest smile possible.
