Pediatric Dentistry Lots of parents want to take their children to the pediatrician when they are sick. That's because parents believe that pediatricians are specialists in the health and well-being of children. However, what about pediatric dentists? Should you take your child to a pediatric dentist? Jacobsen Pediatric Dentistry has some information for you about pediatric dentistry.What Are Pediatric Dentists?Just like doctors, dentists have specialties as well. Pediatric dentistry is one specialty dentists can go into. In pediatric dentistry, dentists specialize in the dental health of children from infancy through adolescence. Pediatric dentists specialize in caring for the mouths, teeth, and gums of children. Why Are Pediatric Dentists Important?Research has shown that children often do not receive adequate dental care. This is important because tooth and gum disease is more common in children than allergies and asthma, as well as Type 1 diabetes. If children don't get proper dental care, they can begin to suffer from tooth and gum disease early. Many people don't think that children need the same amount of dental care that adults do. However, if children don't get enough dental care, the damage to their mouths can be lifelong. It can lead to tooth decay, tooth loss, and loss of bone. Infection can set in as well. Do Pediatric Dentists Get Additional Training?Yes, pediatric dentists get additional training in caring for children. While all dentists attend four years of dental school, they branch out after that. All dentists can choose to specialize in an area. Some dentists choose to specialize in general dentistry - much like a physician who is a general practitioner. There are dentists who want to specialize in caring for children. To become a pediatric dentist, they will complete two years of additional residency training. During their residencies, dentists learn how to care for the teeth and gums of infants and children, as well as adolescents. Their residency period also covers children who have special needs. What Do Pediatric Dentists Do? Pediatric dentists can perform many different kinds of oral care. Beginning in a child's infancy, a pediatric dentist can do exams on the child. He or she can also recommend changes to diet and nutrition to help with good oral health. The pediatric dentist can provide tooth cleaning and treatment. Pediatric dentists also talk to parents about habits that young children have that could lead to problems later. These problems would include thumb-sucking or pacifier use. If a child gets cavities, or there is a problem with a tooth, such as a fracture, the pediatric dentist can work to repair it.Pediatric dentists are great at preventative medicine as well. They can begin to assess children for emerging problems within the mouth, such as tooth overcrowding and spacing. That way, measures can be taken early so that the child won't spend years in orthodontic care later. Also, pediatric dentists can make sure that chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes aren't impacting a child's oral health. In other words, pediatric dentists are a great ally to have for a child's overall health. If you have questions about your child's dental health, why not give Jacobsen Pediatric Dentistry a call at (971) 459-2431. We would love to talk to you about our amazing pediatric dentists! |
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