When I talk to mothers about what they would love to find in a dentist, they often reply that they would love to find a dental practice that can do it all. As a busy parent, the last thing that you want to do after driving from school to work to practice and somehow balancing life in between it all is a drive to multiple dentist’s offices to meet all of your family’s needs. So, for the sake of convenience, can your child just see the same dentist as you? Let’s take a look at some of the things to consider when choosing a dentist for your child.
More Than Just a Colorful Waiting Room. When you think of pediatric dental care, your first thought might be of a colorful office with cheerful staff and a room full of entertaining toys and games to occupy kids during the wait. Child-centered care goes so much deeper than that. Most people don’t realize that pediatric dentistry is a specialty and entails much more than just a kid-friendly environment. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to care for children’s teeth. Since children have all or at least some of their baby teeth, treatments for children vastly differ from adult dental treatments.
Babying Baby Teeth. Baby teeth are more delicate than adult permanent teeth and have less enamel to protect them from decay. Combine this with kids’ usually questionable oral hygiene habits, and pediatric dentists have their work cut out for them. But, kids’ teeth can’t be treated the same way as adults’ teeth. Baby teeth may need fillings, root canals, or crowns, just like permanent teeth, but most dentists aren’t trained to perform these procedures on teeth that are so small. Pediatric dentists have extensive training out how to care for and treat small, delicate, cavity-prone baby teeth.
Soothing Children’s Fears. Kids can also get very scared of going to the dentist and need a doctor who is thoroughly trained in working with fearful patients. While most dentists don’t receive training targeted at the psychology of a fearful patient, this is a major part of pediatric dentists’ training. Pediatric dentists are also frequently trained in sedation techniques. This can help with especially fearful kids or in situations where extensive treatments are needed. Instead of dragging a little one back and forth to the dentist for multiple appointments, they can be sedated to ease the fear and get all of the dentistry done at one time.
Benefits of an All-in-one Practice. At my practice, Elite Smiles, we effectively care for you and your child all under one roof. We have a pediatric dentist in-house that’s highly trained in caring for infants, children, and those with special needs. You and your kids can have your dentist appointments all in one location and all in one block of time as well. Here at Elite Smiles, we want to be sure that your children receive the most effective and nurturing care possible, while still staying convenient for the whole family.
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