Pedodontist: Dentistry for Children
A dumfries pedodontist virginia, also called a pediatric dentist, is a dentist that specializes in dental healthcare for children. If you have never heard of a pedodontist before, you are not alone. Most people do not know or think about dentistry for children until they are searching for a dentist for their child. Here is more information about pedodontists and what makes the pediatric dentistry specialty unique.
What Does a Pedodontist Do?
A pedodontist is a professional dentist who has completed dental school and pursued additional training and coursework in dental treatment for children. To become a pedodontist, a dentist will complete two to three additional years after completing dental school. In general, pedodontists and pediatric dentists treat children from birth to early adulthood, or until they reach about 18 years of age. Additionally, part of the specialized training in dentistry for children is to train dentists to treat children with unique developmental issues or special needs. It is fairly common for children with special needs to continue to see their pedodontist or pediatric dentist after they turn 18, because their dentist is already familiar with their dental history and has developed a relationship with them that they are comfortable with.
Benefits of A Pedodontist
Seeing a pediatric, or pedodontic, dentist offers a number of benefits to your family and your child. These dentists are specifically trained to provide specific dental services that will improve your child’s dental health. You will see below that there are several of these services that are important that you may have not thought of previously, and that are different than what your family dentist may offer, including:
- Education: Caring for your child’s teeth is different than caring for your own. A pediatric dentist can help advise you on dental health care practices like brushing, flossing, and proper nutrition that are important to maintaining your child’s oral health. Further when your child is old enough, they will receive education to help them develop their own healthy hygiene habits.
- Preventing long term problems: Maintaining regular dental visits, starting at an early age, is important to preventing and identifying potential long term problems, including early diagnosis of cavities and potential orthodontic issues which may require braces.
- Preventative treatments: At these regular visits to the pediatric dentist your child will get the specific cleanings and fluoride treatments that are important to helping prevent problems often found in children’s teeth, like cavities and gum disease.
- Repairing damaged teeth: Children are risktakers and are accident prone. At one point or another, your child’s teeth may get chipped, knocked out, or damaged. A pediatric dentist has specialty training in helping treat these problems.
How to find a Pedodontist?
If your family dentist is a general dentist, you should have a talk with them about possible options for your child’s oral healthcare. If your dentist is not comfortable treating a young child, they should be able to refer you to pediatric dentist. Another option is to visit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) website and use their search tools to locate certified pediatric dentists in your area.
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