Dental health is an integral component of overall family wellbeing. Good dental hygiene practices include brushing teeth twice each day with soft bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, flossing regularly and drinking plenty of water.
This pocket guide assists health professionals in meeting the oral health needs of pregnant and postpartum women, infants, children and adolescents. Additionally, it offers resources that empower families to take an active role in managing their oral health.
Preventive care
Preventive dental care is key to keeping teeth and gums healthy. This includes brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, flossing once every day, avoiding foods and drinks which could contribute to tooth decay and scheduling regular dental checkups and cleanings.
Preventive services are an invaluable asset to maintaining optimal health. EmblemHealth has many tools and programs designed to assist you in taking charge of your own wellbeing and staying healthy.
Attaining optimal oral health for pregnant and postpartum women, infants, children, and adolescents requires collaborative efforts between families, dentists, dental hygienists, other health professionals (e.g. physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians), dentists and dental hygienists and dietitians – in particular this pocket guide which contains risk assessments, tooth eruption charts and supplementation schedules as well as glossaries that can be downloaded below using the link. It was produced by the Department of Health’s School Based Oral Health Program with community partners collaborating in its creation.
Restorative care
Restorative care differs from rehabilitation by being slower-paced; therapy sessions usually last fewer hours per day with ongoing encouragement to participate in activities. The goal of restorative care programs is to return someone to their previous level of functioning through means such as encouraging continence, increasing muscle strength and balance training and developing or recovering social skills.
An individual’s oral health is intricately tied to their overall wellness. Studies have established connections between gum disease and cardiovascular illness, pneumonia, and diabetes – thus reinforcing the importance of having comprehensive dental care, with preventive and restorative services all under one roof.
Assisting healthcare providers in meeting the oral health needs of pregnant and postpartum women, infants, children and adolescents this pocket guide offers an overview of preventive oral health supervision as well as an eruption chart and fluoride supplementation schedule and additional resources for families as they collaborate together with oral healthcare providers and other healthcare professionals to address oral healthcare needs during gestation and after delivery.
Cosmetic dentistry
If stains or other aesthetic aspects of your smile concern you, cosmetic dentistry could be the solution. This form of dental work aims to enhance the appearance of teeth, bites and gums by altering color, shape, size or alignment – most insurance providers do not cover elective treatments such as replacing missing teeth. This form of treatment tends to be voluntary – insurance providers usually do not cover it either!
Dental veneers are a highly popular cosmetic procedure, providing an effective and long-term solution to tooth discoloration or chips and minor misalignment issues. Made out of porcelain for maximum naturalness and longevity.
Composite resin fillings offer another cosmetic solution, as they can be shaded to complement natural tooth colors and offer more subtle results than metal fillings. Tooth-shaped dental bonding provides another cosmetic solution by filing or shaping tooth surfaces to give a natural looking result.
Emergency dentistry
Healthy mouths begin with preventive dental care such as twice-annual checkups and dental cleanings for your family, which allows your dentist to catch problems early before they become larger issues, saving both time and money in the process.
Whenever experiencing toothaches, swollen gums or infections it’s essential that you see your dentist immediately to ensure the problem doesn’t worsen. Some symptoms that seem like emergencies like chipped or severe bleeding might not qualify as such emergencies though.
An all-inclusive family dentistry practice should offer more than the standard services provided by general dentists; in addition to these basic offerings, it should provide cosmetic and restorative solutions as well. When selecting a practice, ensure they offer emergency service provision capabilities to make sure that when needed your family receives care quickly. A good clinic will schedule patients according to urgency levels so you receive help quickly; additionally they will offer affordable treatment solutions.
