FOR OUR GRANDPARENTS, AND THEIR GRANDPARENTS FROM GENERATIONS PAST, it was not likely 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 our dentists, means a greatly increased likelihood that YOU will keep YOUR smile for life!

From visiting with you, our valued patients, we understand that making decisions about various treatments isn’t always easy. Well, we’d like to help. So to better think about decision making for dental services, we’ve designed a simple little framework—with this being the second in a series of four posts.It’s our hope that this will help bring additional clarity to your decision making.WE KNOW that decisions are always YOURS to make, and we want to be sure you have good information that you can use.

For purposes of this series of 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 Lake Oconee Dentistry our goal is to make sure you’re comfortable with all the health decision you make, including oral health, 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 BEGINSin 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. Patti, Dr. David and Dr. Phil. 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 all did!). 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. This and other problems can often be spotted through routine checkups, allowing care to be given while still in beginning stages.
• 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 from our dentists, 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 Lake Oconee 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.

Watch for our next blog post (the third in this series) to learn about one of the other phases in “The Lifetime of Your Smile”!