Age Specific Dental Care
Family dentistry in our Greer, SC office encompasses everyone from the youngest children to the oldest seniors. Different ages are more susceptible to other dental problems. For young children, tooth decay is the most common dental issue. This is because younger children have higher sugar diets and don’t have the best oral healthcare skills. Dental sealants can add an extra layer of protection to your children’s teeth that are most susceptible to tooth decay.
The most critical component of children’s dentistry is education and prevention. We work hard to ensure that our youngest patients have wonderful dental experiences so they will never be afraid of the dentist. Instead, they will look forward to visiting for preventative checkups. As a member of each child’s healthcare team, we look for areas of improvement to ensure a lifetime of quality oral health. After each visit, we make dietary and home hygiene recommendations to improve dental outcomes and reduce the possibility of future dental disease.
As children get older, crooked teeth become a concern. Dr. Carraway can detect bite or smile issues in children before they become significant issues. We also work with a team of experienced specialists such as orthodontists, pediatric dentists, and oral surgeons when necessary. If a child’s bite has severe issues, orthodontists can better correct the issue while the child is growing than after growth has been completed. Many orthodontists recommend an initial consultation after the first adult tooth has come in around age seven. If an extreme overbite or underbite is identified early enough, orthodontists can correct the problem using braces alone rather than surgery. Every smile is unique, and it is essential to identify smile issues as early as possible.
Oral Health Changes
Our teeth change with age, just like the rest of our bodies. The enamel layer on the outside thins and exposes more of the off-white dentin layer underneath. Lifestyle choices like smoking or drinking coffee cause further staining on your teeth. Professional teeth whitening helps us erase years of aging on your teeth.
Wisdom teeth also come into play in your late teens and early twenties. With evolution, our mouths usually don’t have room for extra molars. They cause crooked teeth and other oral health problems. In almost all cases, we recommend that wisdom teeth be removed. Multiple solutions are available to treat crooked teeth as well.
Seniors are more prone to missing teeth. Like teeth staining, problems like this develop over time and with age. At our office, we offer multiple options to replace missing teeth. Solutions include dental implants, bridges, and dentures. We’ll have a consultation with you to determine the best course of action for your unique situation.
