About Pediatric Dentistry

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What is Pediatric Dentistry?

This is the branch of dentistry that deals with the oral care and treatment of children from birth to adolescence.

These are dentists who specialize in the oral health of infants, children, and teenagers. They care for their teeth, gums and mouth throughout their childhood stages.

Children begin teething during the first six months of their life. However, some children take longer to get their baby teeth. After the age of six, they begin to lose their first set of teeth. These are later replaced by secondary or permanent teeth. Oral disease and decay can cause the child to have a lifetime of complications and pain. Oral decay and disease occur if the teeth do not receive proper dental care.

• It is important to establish a relationship between your child and the pediatric dentist that is ongoing. This will ensure that your child gets accessible and comprehensive dental care throughout their childhood.
• Early detection of oral and dental problems aids in proper and appropriate treatment. Early detection can be achieved through regular examinations by the pediatric dentist. This is essential in maintaining oral heath and modifying aberrant habits.
• A pediatric dentist will also give you recommendations on preventative dental care that you can follow at home. This includes brushing teeth and flossing. In addition, pediatric dentists provide a caries risk assessment, advice on preventing injuries to the mouth and teeth, information on the thumb, finger and pacifier habits, diet counseling and growth and development information.
• Children are not always cooperative and patient during dental exams. For this reason, pediatric dentists have the extra and specialized training to ensure the exams are as comfortable and easy as possible. Pediatric dentists use equipment that is specially designed for children’s use. The offices are also often decorated with children in mind.
• A pediatric dentist offers diagnosis and a wide variety of treatment options or management of diseases recommendations. By seeing a pediatric dentist you ensure that your child will receive the best possible care.

Pediatric dentists have completed at least 4 years of dental school and 2 more years of residency training in pediatric dentistry.

Pediatric dentists provide comprehensive oral health care that includes the following:

• Preventive dental care which includes cleaning, fluoride treatments and diet and nutrition recommendations.
• Infant oral examinations to assess risk of caries in both mother and child
• Counseling on habits such as thumb sucking and the use of a pacifier.
• Assessment and treatment for teeth straightening.
• Correcting an improper bite, also known as orthodontics
• Repair of defects or tooth cavities
• Diagnosis of oral conditions that is associated with diseases such as asthma, diabetes, hay fever, congenital heart defect and hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder
• Management of oral diseases such as gum disease, mouth ulcers, mucoceles, short frenulum and pediatric periodontal disease
• Care for dental injuries such as displaced, fractured or knocked out teeth
  

Learn more about Pediatric Dentistry

• Pediatric dentistry on AAPD