Pediatric dentists specialize in the dental care of children from infancy through their teen years. They possess the qualifications and experience necessary to care for a child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout the various stages of childhood. Children begin to get their baby teeth during the first 6 months of life, and by age 6 or 7 years, they start to lose their first set of teeth, which eventually are replaced by secondary, permanent teeth. Without proper dental care, children face possible oral decay and disease that can cause a lifetime of pain and complications. Today, early childhood dental caries—an infectious disease—is 5 times more common in children than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.
The training that pediatric dentists receive equips them to provide comprehensive oral health care that includes the management of oral growth and development, prevention and management of diseases in child and adolescent populations, and various modalities of sedation and anesthesia. Their educational background typically includes a four-year dental school curriculum followed by two to three years of specialized training in the unique needs of infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs.
Pediatric dentists focus heavily on preventive care. They offer advice and treatment to ensure a child’s lifelong oral health. For instance, they perform oral health exams which include the risk assessment for caries in mother and child. The preventative dental care includes cleaning and fluoride treatments, as well as nutrition and diet recommendations. Pediatric dentists also offer habit counseling (for habits like pacifier use and thumb sucking). They can assess and treat straightening teeth and correcting an improper bite (orthodontics) and repair tooth cavities or defects. Moreover, a pediatric dentist is skilled in diagnosing oral conditions associated with diseases such as diabetes, congenital heart defect, asthma, hay fever, and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Furthermore, pediatric dentists are also experts in dealing with dental injuries such as fractured, displaced, or knocked-out teeth in children. These types of emergencies can often require immediate attention, and knowing how to deal with these situations is an integral part of their specialty. Pediatric dentists also play a crucial role in the care of dental health in children with chronic conditions and special needs due to their advanced training and familiarity with these issues.
For parents seeking specialized pediatric dental care, the approach to treatment is not merely focused on dealing with current dental issues, but also on creating a positive and welcoming environment that helps children establish trust and comfort in dental care settings. This aspect of pediatric dentistry is crucial as it encourages good dental habits and reduces fear and anxiety that children may associate with dental visits, fostering an attitude that may prevent them from neglecting dental health as they grow.
While primarily known for their role in preventive and corrective dentistry for children, pediatric dentists often collaborate closely with other specialists. This can be particularly important when a child requires comprehensive oral health care that overlaps with other areas of medical and dental needs. In communities like Chambersburg, where specialized services need to be interconnected, a pediatric dentist might often refer to or work in conjunction with practitioners of cosmetic dentistry in Chambersburg to address more complex developmental issues or injuries that affect the appearance of the teeth, jaws, and face.
Choosing a pediatric dentist for a child is an important decision for parents, as these specialists are pivotal in ensuring their children's oral health is looked after from an early age. Their extensive training in child psychology and development, along with their specific dental training, makes them uniquely qualified to handle the challenges that can arise in maintaining child oral health. Whether it’s a routine checkup, a dental emergency, or managing the dental growth and development of children with special needs, pediatric dentists play an essential role in the lifelong dental health of children.
