As parents, we do everything for the well-being of our kids, including filling their growing up years with happy memories. These wonderful times are hinged not only on the care and support you give them, but also on their good health. Happy children are healthy children, and dental health that gives them confident smiles and strong teeth is part of that. No one knows your children like you do, and no one knows kids’ teeth and this crucial stage in development better than a pediatric dentist. Here’s how a pediatric dentist’s support forms part of childcare.
Getting to Know a Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric dentists studied an additional 2-3 years to gain formal education and learn advanced techniques in children’s care. They are trained in performing treatments specific to children, starting from infancy until adolescence. Generally, all dentists are trained to provide expert dental care, but pediatric dentists focus on children and supporting them through crucial stages in their body’s growth and development to get confident smiles, and strong, healthy teeth as they grow up.
Pediatric dentists are equipped with techniques for handling children’s behaviour to limit common fear and anxiety. They also know how to properly provide dental care to children with conditions such as ADHD, Autism or Down Syndrome. They address developmental and restorative concerns regarding primary teeth (your kids’ baby teeth), and provide treatments such as space maintainers to correct the effects of thumb sucking. Finally, sedating patients is crucial, so pediatric dentists employ safe and effective sedation techniques for children.
Choosing a Pediatric Dentist
To make sure you entrust your child’s dental care with a pediatric dentist, you should know about their training and be certain that they trained especially in pediatric dentistry. Ask your friends and family about dentists they’ve brought their children to, and find out if these were pediatric dentists. Your child’s pediatrician may also refer you to a pediatric dentist they know. When doing your research and reading about dentists you can take your child to, make sure that their bios or websites talk about their pediatric dentistry training. Most pediatric dentists will have at least two additional years of training for babies, toddlers, kids, teenagers, and children with special needs.
A Special Kind of Dental Care
Renowned kids’ dentist, Dr. Phu-My Gep of Woodbridge Kids Dentistry shares the kind of care parents can expect their children to receive from a trained pediatric dentist. This includes assessing your baby’s risk for cavities and performing oral exams on them; and expertly dealing with common dental problems in kids, such as thumb sucking, teeth grinding, and having been used to pacifiers. Pediatric dentists also repair of cavities and other imperfections in teeth, and provide preventive care through regular cleaning, and applying sealants and topical fluoride treatments.
Many dental problems manifest in childhood and should be corrected by the time your child is a teenager to avoid larger costs and increased difficulty in treatments. A pediatric dentist would know very well how to work around your child’s growth and development of permanent teeth to correct alignment and bite problems that only seemed temporary in childhood, but are now apparently permanent and would be much harder to treat in adulthood. Pediatric dentists also understand well how children’s active lifestyles can cause fractured or displaced teeth, and they provide expert care in these situations. Finally, pediatric dentists can help manage and prevent gum diseases, such as periodontal disease and gingivitis, as well as oral conditions, including tongue-tie or lip-tie (short frenulae).
Working Hand-in-Hand with Your Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric dentists know that shaping each child’s dental health is a partnership between them and parents, so they teach you important dental care tips to follow at home and guide your children for. Dentists such as Dr. Phu-My Gep teach parents how to take care of infant or baby teeth, as well as the lasting effects of unhealthy food and drinks on children’s teeth as they grow up. They also show kids and parents proper tooth brushing and flossing techniques and help prepare and care for permanent teeth as these grow in. And because they’re not always around to guard your child’s teeth, pediatric dentists teach parents how to properly handle knocked-out or fractured teeth until children can be brought to their clinic for treatment.