FOR OUR GRANDPARENTS, AND THEIR GRANDPARENTS FROM GENERATIONS PAST, the chance was SO slim that a person could keep his or her natural teeth over an entire lifetime. But today, remarkable technologies and advanced materials, coupled with the artistic vision and the extensive training of both Dr. Jane Lilly and Dr. Kevin Lilly, means a greatly increased likelihood that YOU will keep YOUR smile for life!
Sometimes, when we are visiting with you, our valued patients, we sense that making decisions about various treatments isn’t very simple. To help better think about decision making for dental services, we’ve designed a simple little framework—with this being the first in a series of four posts. It’s our hope that this will help bring additional clarity to your decision making. And of course, WE KNOW that decisions are always YOURS to make. We just want to be sure you have good information that you can use.
For purposes of the next four posts here on our blog, we’ve divided “The Lifetime of Your Smile” into four phases:
- 1–20 Year Old Smiles
- 20–40 Year Old Smiles
- 40–65 Year Old Smiles
- 65+ Year Old Smiles
In addition to finding YOUR smile’s current phase, you likely have family members and loved ones in the other phases as well. We invite you to pass the information along!
Must do’s. Should do’s. Could do’s.
Every day—both consciously and subconsciously—we prioritize our decision making in all aspects of our lives using “must do’s,” “should do’s,” and “could do’s.” Here at Lilly Family Dental our goal is to make sure you’re comfortable with every oral health decision you make, and that you see the difference between the “musts,” the “shoulds,” and the “coulds.”
Of course, these lists ARE NOT exhaustive—there are no right or wrong answers to what you must, should, or could be doing about your oral health and appearance. Everyone has different priorities and different wants and needs. Think of these posts as a starting point! And if you have questions, contact us and we’ll chat.
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Today’s Post Is About Your 1–20 Year Old Smile
A LIFETIME OF SOUND ORAL HEALTH BEGINS in children with early preventative care and education. Among the best ways to ensure this is to help your child develop a great relationship with Dr. Kevin and Dr. Jane. There are basic, obvious lessons to be learned about tooth care. But, don’t forget that children and teens are becoming increasingly aware and sensitive about their appearance (just like we did when we were that age!). The condition of their smile can have a tremendous impact on their developing self image.
Must do.
- Regular check ups should begin before a child’s third birthday.
- Dentists are often the first to see signs of Bulimia.
- Sometimes a dentist’s counsel goes farther than parents’ when it comes to subjects like soda pop consumption or tongue piercing.
Should do.
- Extensive orthodontics are sometimes prevented by an alert dentists like Drs. Lilly, e.g. space retainers maintain important space in early tooth loss.
- Sealants are a liquid plastic applied to chewing surfaces to prevent decay—especially for those hard-to-reach places that children neglect.
- Understanding the causes of bad breath ensures lifelong prevention and avoids embarrassment.
Could do.
- Your teen’s smile is so important to his or her self image. Even subtle smile enhancements can make a world of difference.
- Whitening is a safe, affordable boost to socially-conscious teens.
- Studies show that athletes who wear custom mouth guards have 60% fewer injuries to their teeth, lips and gums.
Here at Lilly Family Dentistry, our entire team wants to be your oral health partners for life! Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, if you haven’t already.