Children require good dental hygiene and habits like adults to keep their teeth and mouth clean and healthy. Dental experts recommend taking your child for routine pediatric visits when their first tooth erupts or on their first birthday. Even if they don’t have any issues, the dentist will review their oral and dental development and correct any alignment problems early on before they cause serious and long-term complications. Keep reading to learn more about pediatric dentistry.
A pediatric dentist is a dental professional specializing in children’s (infants to teenagers) dental care. A pediatric dentist offers a variety of dental care and treatments to keep your child’s teeth, gums, and mouth in optimal health. Unlike a general dentist, a pediatric dentist has additional training and specialized skills to accommodate the various dental needs of children.
There are many benefits of taking your child for routine pediatric visits. These reasons include:
A pediatric dentist reviews your child’s oral health for dental diseases or disorders. The dentist will examine their teeth, gums, and mouth for pain, infections, trauma, bite problems, and other concerns.
X-rays may be necessary to examine their teeth and bone for a thorough oral exam. Routine dental exams allow for early diagnosis and treatment of oral issues. If undetected for long, most oral issues can develop into serious, long-term concerns like misalignments, tooth loss, and jaw disorders.
After examining your child’s mouth, the pediatric dentist will use special dental tools to remove any built-up bacterial deposits in the child’s mouth. This removal lowers the child’s risk of developing gum disease and tooth decay. Our kid’s dentist in 92014 recommends taking your child for pediatric visits every six months.
Besides routine dental checkups and cleanings, a pediatric dentist can also perform preventive procedures to reduce your child’s risk of oral diseases. These can include:
Like adults, children can experience dental problems such as gum disease, dental trauma, poor bite, and tooth decay. Below are some of the most common procedures performed by a pediatric dentist:
For more information about pediatric dental care and treatments, visit our children’s dental clinic near you or contact Sunny Smiles Kids.