If you are unhappy with the state of your smile, your dentist may recommend braces to achieve the straight, properly aligned teeth you desire. While you may think of braces as a treatment reserved for children and teens, you can get them at any age, and the number of adults getting braces is on the rise.

Before you commit to braces, learn all you can about this treatment. To that end, take a look at these six questions adults commonly have about getting and living with braces.

So many children have fears of going to the dentist, which can make dental appointments difficult for parents when they take their kids in for visits. If your child fears the dentist, you should talk to your family dentist about laser dentistry. This newer form of dentistry makes procedures less painful and less traumatic, and it could help your child overcome his or her fear of the dentist.

What Is Laser Dentistry?

Laser dentistry is something that dentists have used for several decades. However, laser dentistry is not something that all dentists offer. With laser dentistry, dentists use a laser and water to perform a variety of dental procedures. Lasers are commonly used today for many types of medical treatments, and they offer a lot of benefits over traditional forms of treatments.

A missing tooth can make you feel embarrassed when around others, which is why you may be looking to do something about it. While dental implants could be the answer to your problem, it is understandable to have questions about the procedure before you move forward with it. Here are common questions you may have about dental implants.

Do you have a hard time getting your kids to floss or worry that they’re not flossing correctly? Lots of kids resist flossing or just don’t do a good job of it. As your dentist could tell you, lots of adults have the same problem.

Get your kids in the habit of flossing correctly while they’re young so that it becomes a lifelong habit — one that they keep up with when they reach their adult years. If the daily battle over flossing is getting the best of you, don’t give up. There are ways to ensure cooperation from your kids and make sure that they’re flossing effectively.

If your young adolescent isn’t happy with the way his or her teeth look, porcelain or composite dental veneers are an option you can consider, provided that all his or her permanent teeth have come through. Here are some things to keep in mind if you consider dental veneers for your adolescent.

When Dentists Recommend Veneers

Dental veneers can improve the appearance of your adolescent’s teeth—particularly teeth that are discolored or damaged. A dentist may recommend veneers to change the shape, size, or color of your young teen’s teeth if they overlap, if they have small gaps between them, or if they are permanently stained, chipped, broken, or uneven.

Dentists sometimes suggest the use of veneers on teeth that are discolored due to too much fluoride or due to staining medications, such as tetracycline and doxycycline, which are antibiotics doctors prescribe to treat bacterial infections. Such drugs can cause permanent staining of the teeth when children younger than age 8 consume it. The drugs can even affect children in utero.