Your Salt Lake City, UT, dentist, Dr. Spencer Luke of Lakeside Dental, can help you and your entire family reduce your risk of cavities and other oral health problems. In addition to treating tooth decay, he offers many other family dentistry and services aimed at protecting your smile.

What types of patients do family dentists treat?

Family dentists care for the oral health care needs of:

• Infants, Toddlers, and Children: Not so long ago, kids didn't see the dentist until they had a full set of teeth. Unfortunately, by that point, some of them already had cavities. Today, we know that it's important to start dental visits within six months after the first tooth appears. Twice-yearly checkups are particularly important during childhood. In addition to diagnosing cavities and gum disease, your family dentist can also identify growth and development issues that may affect your child's teeth and jaw.
  
  
• Teenagers: Your child's cavity risk increases during adolescence. In fact, 57 percent of children 12 to 19 were affected by cavities compared to just 17 percent of children ages 6 to 11 in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As your child reaches adolescence, regular visits to the Salt Lake City Dental office and good oral hygiene will help reduce the risk of tooth decay. During this time period, your child might also need orthodontic treatment or wisdom tooth extraction.
  
  
• Adults: Family dentists provide a variety of services that will help you care for your smile. In addition to regular cleanings and checkups, family dentists offer crowns, bridges, dental implants, dentures, bonding, veneers, root canal therapy, gum disease therapy, and other treatments.
  
  
• Senior Citizens: Aging causes wear and tear on your teeth and may increase your risk of tooth loss. Your family dentist offers the treatments senior citizens need to restore damaged, worn, or lost teeth. He also diagnoses other oral health problems that may affect older people, such as gum disease, oral cancer, or poor oral hygiene related to dementia or arthritis.

What are the advantages of family dentistry?

Family dentistry offers these benefits:

• Convenience: Group dental checkups make it easy to take care of your entire family's dental needs in one morning or afternoon.
  
  
• Continuity of Care: Family dentists develop strong relationships with their patients throughout the years.
  
  
• Compassion: Your family dentist understands the concerns of fearful or young patients and strives to make appointments positive and pleasant.
  
  
• Excellent Care: Thanks to his expertise and experience treating a range of dental issues, your family dentist can handle the various oral health problems you may encounter over the course of your life.
  
  

Family dentistry helps keep your smile healthy! Call your dentist in Salt Lake City, UT, Dr. Spencer Luke of Lakeside Dental, at (801) 596-3000 to schedule your appointment.