Everything You Should Know About Pediatric Dentistry

Protecting our oral health is essential to caring for our overall health. As a result, we must start taking steps to protect our smile from our earliest days. During our developmental years, it’s essential that we pick up good oral hygiene habits. These habits will equip us to preserve the beauty of our smile and ensure that it lasts us late into our lives. One thing that parents can do to help growing children develop these habits is to ensure they’re receiving care under a pediatric dental specialist. More than just a family dentist, these professionals focus on developing good oral habits and the concerns that young patients face.

What Pediatric Dentists Provide To Your Child’s Health

Every dentist receives the training necessary to provide primary dental care to patients of all ages. General dentists focus on providing basic services such as preventative care, restorations, and other common concerns. Family dentists do the same, but their focus is on the whole family and whole life care. Pediatric dentists stand apart by having a specific focus on the complex concerns that patients can face during their developmental years. They know how to identify developing problems that will grow into more serious ones that are more costly and uncomfortable to fix later in life.

The benefits of receiving care from a pediatric dentist are many. The most prominent include:

• More Positive Visits – Seeing a dentist can be a challenging experience for anyone. Children often find the experience more challenging than adults. Thankfully, part of a pediatric dentist’s training is to ensure that these visits are comfortable and positive. Doing so helps set good precedents for the child’s relationship with dental care as they become adults.
• Specialized Training – The training that a pediatric dentist undergoes is significant. There are many oral health concerns that can develop during our children’s earliest years. However, these concerns may remain hidden from the untrained eye until they grow into adulthood. Pediatric dentists can catch these early and take steps to address them. Their training also provides them with the skills necessary to handle children struggling with fear or anxiety about their visit to the dentist.

Pediatric dentists focus on providing care for those between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. While some pediatric dentists may continue to accept established patients after this age, it isn’t common to do so. Instead, they begin undergoing a transition program at the age of 14. Over the following four years, the child is educated on their oral health and how to take responsibility for their oral health care as they move into adulthood.

Speak With Your Pediatric Specialist To Learn More

If you’re considering taking your child to a pediatric dental specialist, reach out to their offices today. You can ask them important questions about their clinic and schedule a visit for you and your child. During this visit, you’ll meet the staff and get a feel for the facility, its mission statement, and how it will influence your experiences. Most importantly, it will give your child a chance to meet those who may become responsible for their oral health care for years to come. The relationships they build will inform their dental healthcare choices for a lifetime!

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