Over 40 percent of children ages two to 19 have cavities. With this startling statistic comes the responsibility of parents to promote good oral hygiene. This means taking your child to a pediatric dentist regularly. The only question is: how do you find the right one? Read on for our complete guide to finding a local pediatric dentist.
Pediatric Dentistry Vs. Adult Dentistry
Pediatric dentists and adult dentists are two separate things.
Becoming a pediatric dentist requires more training than just being an adult dentist. It involves taking courses targeted at children’s oral health and growth. A normal adult dentist will stop their education after focusing on general oral health.
Pediatric dentists will continue their education for a couple more years. This is to learn about the ins and outs of pediatric oral health and child dental needs.
It is this that makes seeing a pediatric dentist so vital. Taking your child to your own dentist may mean they aren’t getting the proper check-up they need. The dentist they are seeing may not be equipped to work with children.
Our dentist is specialized in pediatric dentistry for kids and can assist with any of your child’s dental needs.
What Do I Look For In a Local Pediatric Dentist?
It is important that you don’t just see any pediatric dentist. You have to look for the proper services and qualities that your child will need. Here are some of the things to look for in the best child dentist.
Services
Pediatric dentists offer a range of services for your child. Here are some of our services that are vital to your child’s health.
Preventative Care
Having regular exams is an important part of your child’s oral health. In our exams, we will check for cavities, tooth decay, developmental issues, and more. We will also conduct regular pediatric tooth cleanings to make sure your child is getting the proper cleaning they need.
Regular teeth brushing does not always get the plague and dirt that builds up on teeth. Having our professional dentist clean your child’s teeth can ensure that they won’t have any decay-inducing plague.
Restorative Services
After having an exam, an issue may come up that is important to fix. We offer restorative service that can provide fillings, sealants, and more to help your child’s smile look perfect!
If you let a cavity or other tooth decay go on for too long, the problem will only get worse. This is why it is important to stop the issue and fix it as soon as possible. We will ensure that your child maintains good oral health by fixing any issues that happen.
Sedation Dentistry
Dentist appointments may not always be comfortable for your child. It is because of this that we offer sedation dentistry for kids.
This is perfect for children who experience anxiety when going to a dentist. There are even four different types of sedation dentistry that you can choose from.
Using child sedation dentistry means that your child may have partial to no recollection of the appointment. This will make it much easier to take them to future appointments.
In a child’s life, sedation dentistry can be a very beneficial practice to help your child through their appointment.
Checking Reviews
It is important to see that other clients commend the dentist you are choosing. If the dentist does not have good reviews, they may not be an optimal choice for your children.
How does the dentist interact with the kids? Was the child comfortable around the dentist? Did they allow you in the room with the child?
These are questions that can be answered by reviews, as there are other parents that may have the same concerns as you do. If you don’t find the answers to some of your questions, you can also call the dentist ahead of time and ask them yourself.
Training
As stated previously, pediatric dentists have more training than adult dentists. When you are searching for a dentist, it is important to learn if the dentist has the qualifications necessary. This can be done by talking to the front office or researching the dentist you are looking at.
Looking at the education of your dentist will be an important factor in finding the best one.
Go For a Visit
Before committing to a dentist, you may want to consider taking a visit there just to check out the office and speak to the dentist. By doing this you can see how the office runs and what the environment is like.
Talking to the dentist can also let you get a sense of who he is and how he will interact with your child.
You don’t want to show up for your first check-up and find out that the environment is not kid-friendly. Going for a visit can calm your nerves in this area and get your child used to the idea of going to the dentist.
What’s the Point?
You may think: if I encourage my kid to have good oral health, then why should I need a pediatric dentist?
There may be issues with your child’s teeth that you might be unaware of. Even if your child brushes their teeth three times a day, chances are they are still missing an area that can cause tooth decay.
While you can encourage your child to have good oral health, a dentist can make them excited to take care of their smile.
How Do I Get Started?
If you understand how important oral health is for your child, then you may want to get started right now. Keep your child’s smile healthy and clean by investing in your local pediatric dentist.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!