Why Visiting a Pediatric Dentist Can Transform Your Child's Oral Health

As a parent, you probably have a dedicated pediatric doctor to go whenever your children are feeling under the weather. You never go to see any other doctor unless your doctor is unavailable.

This is because your children have developed a relationship with their doctor. Either way, this doctor has their whole health history, so you do not have to start from scratch during any visit explaining your child’s health history.

The same should be the case for your child’s oral health. It would be best if you had a dedicated pediatric dentist near you, or dentistry for children, which you can frequently visit for your children’s dental checkups or in case of a dental emergency.

A Pediatric dentist, unlike a regular dentist in Columbia, MO, is specially trained and dedicated to handling the oral health of children as from infancy to their teenage years. They are qualified to provide the oral healthcare your child needs as they go through the various stages of growth.

Receiving this proper oral care is vital for your child because this will protect them from future dental issues, periodontal diseases, and irreversible tooth loss due to tooth decay.

What Qualifications Does a Pediatric Dentist Have?

A pediatric dentist has to have completed four years of dental school and another additional two years of residency training in handling dentistry for infants, children, and teenagers.

Their residency training period allows them to interact with children who have special needs, equipping them with the vital expertise they need to handle all children.

What Dental Services Do Pediatric Dentists Offer?

Here are some of the dental services our pediatric dentist in Columbia, MO, provides:

• Conduct thorough oral health examinations on infants to help us evaluate the infants’ risk of getting tooth decay or cavities.
• Providing preventive services that keep dental cavities and tooth decay at bay such as thorough cleaning and fluoride treatments
• Equipping parents with vital information such as proper nutrition and diets that will promote the proper growth and development of your child’s teeth
• Dealing with dental issues such as tooth cavity in kids and tooth decay
• Conducting an assessment of any possible orthodontic issues such as improper bites and crowded teeth and rectifying them early enough
• Offering counseling or alternative solutions to deal with habits such as thumb sucking and using pacifiers that may affect your child’s proper tooth development
• Treating dental injuries and emergencies such as loose or knocked-out teeth
• Diagnosing oral issues linked to other major health conditions such as cardiac diseases and diabetes

Why Should Your Children Go to a Pediatric Dentist?

This is a question you might have asked yourself before why you should specifically take your children to a pediatric dentist and not just any dentist.

Well, there is a massive difference between a pediatric dentist and a regular dentist. Here are some of the reasons why pediatric dentists make an excellent choice for your children’s oral health welfare:

• Training

They have the vital training they need to deal with dental issues relating to infants and children. This training also involves focusing on a child’s psychology and developmental stages.

That means they can calm your child down in case they suffer from any dental phobia or anxiety.

Unlike general dentists, pediatric dentists can work with children who have special needs or those who suffer from dental phobias.

• Experience

Pediatric dentists have the experience of dealing with child-related dental issues. They have a world of experience in handling and working with children’s gums and teeth, and they can spot a potential dental problem in children before it gets out of hand.

• Child-Friendly Environment

Children find the white and sterile environment of most regular dental offices intimidating. Pediatric dentist’s offices are customized with tiny furniture, colorful walls, and cartoon characters that tend to put anxious children at ease before the procedures begin.

Your child will love going to the dentist’s office just to get a chance to see their favorite cartoon character, and they will feel comfortable while there. This means that dental visits will no longer be a dreaded affair.

• Dental Equipment That Fits

Regular dentists may not be equipped with small dental equipment, this will make any child anxious and jumpy at the sight of the massive equipment.

Pediatric dentists have small-sized equipment that will put your child at ease during dental procedures.

At All American Dental, we have a dedicated pediatric section run by a child-friendly staff who strives to make every child enjoy their dental visits.