Helping your child achieve good oral health is important even from their early years through their adolescence. What most dental experts would highly recommend is for you to bring your child to a dentist as soon as they get their first milk tooth or as soon as they age 1. It might be too early for some people, but you should understand that this will help you give your child the proper oral care they deserve to avoid the pain and discomfort from potential oral health problems. This is where the specialized care of a pediatric dentist comes in.
A pediatric dentist is a dentist who specializes in providing oral health care to children throughout their childhood years. This involves the care for a child’s teeth, gums, and the other surrounding tissues in their mouth. Pediatric dentists are the ones who detect, diagnose and provide treatment for oral health conditions specific to children, so as to protect them from problems that can cause lifelong complications.
Some of the services provided by a pediatric dentist are the following:
- Comprehensive oral health exams for babies. These include the dentist’s assessment of the child’s risk to tooth decay and cavities, so early preventive measures can be applied if there is a need to.
- Preventive care to increase protection against decay and cavities. Some of the procedures that can be involved are fluoride treatment, dental cleanings, education on proper diet and nutrition.
- Assessment of misaligned or crooked teeth so that treatment can be provided with the help of orthodontics.
- Early diagnosis and detection of oral health problems that can result in serious health conditions for the child like asthma, hay fever, diabetes, heart diseases and many others.
- Habit counselling for the child when it comes to the use of pacifier and thumb sucking
- Providing treatment for injuries such as fractured, broken or damaged teeth
- Restoration and repair of damaged teeth
- Diagnosis, prevention and treatment of gum and periodontal diseases.
What are the benefits of pediatric dentistry?
Many families, or parents,particularly have gotten used to bringing their child to their family dentists, well maybe because of the convenience of just having one dentist to provide oral health care for everyone in the family. However, your child needs a specialized care of a pediatric dentist because he is the one who can provide a comprehensive oral care that a general dentists does not typically provide. There are specific conditions and issues that are only happening to a child that only a pediatric dentist can address.
Children also do not behave the same as adults and they fear the dentist more than adults do. This is why they need someone who is capable of making them feel comfortable during the dental appointments so that they become more patient and cooperative during the whole procedure. Pediatric dentists have received special trainings which allow them to effectively handle difficult situations when it comes to dealing with children. They have strategic methods to make children feel relaxed and comfortable during the treatment. They also use the equipment and tools that are specifically designed to provide quality oral care for children.
It is important to bring your child to a pediatric dentist as early as the dentists would recommend, and that is on your child’s first birthday or when your child gets their first milk tooth. This is going to help your child in preventing potential oral health problems such as tooth decay and cavities. If your dentist detects early signs of a possible problem, an early treatment can be provided so it does not progress to an advanced stage.
Proper oral home care for children
Children are not excused from oral health problems, and just like adults they can easily be exposed to oral health conditions if they do not receive proper care. Properly caring for your child’s teeth and gums should only require you to make sure brushing begins during the early years. Their diet and nutrition should also be monitored so that they get to eat foods that are good for their teeth. And more importantly, they should be brought to a pediatric dentist as early as possible so you can stay on top of your child’s oral health conditions.
For more information on pediatric dentistry, you can call Indian Hills Dentistry at (615) 236-6801, or visit us at 2850 S. Church Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37127.