Most family dentist practices will provide children’s dentistry services, so why should you choose to take your child to a pediatric dentist over a family practice? A positive environment and a high level of care are essential to your kid’s oral health and development. We know you want the best dental care for your child, and several factors go into choosing the right clinic.
Family Dentist Key Traits
- Specialized in a range of different services rather than one specific one similar to general dentist
- Normal level of dental education needed
- Provide care to people of all ages, so you and your child can go to the same place
- Focused on general issues such as filling cavities, gum health, and overall tooth decay
Pediatric Dentist Key Traits
- More specialized in working specifically with kids. Additional years of training are required for pediatric dentists.
- In this program they learn to deal with children in their residencies. Here is where they gain the skills that set them apart from regular family dentists.
- On top of normal general dentistry procedures, pediatric dentists learn how to deal with kids behaviorally, oral pathology, advanced surgical procedures, and working with patients with special needs.
- Pediatric dentists have a lot more experience dealing with primary (baby) teeth
- Pediatric Dental Offices are almost always specifically catered to be a kid-friendly environment with some kind of fun theme for the office. For example, our partner pediatric dental office, Cumberland Valley Pediatric Dentistry, has a tooth fairy theme.
So, Which Should You Choose?
A family dentist can certainly be a good choice for your child and it helps if you are already familiar with the dentist. However, to truly have specialized care for your child, we recommend taking your child to a pediatric dentist. The experience and training pediatric dentists have working with kids is a safer bet for your child to receive the most optimal dental care.
Having a specialist diagnose and treat children’s teeth can make a tremendous difference in their future. With a pediatric dentist, parents can be assured that their child’s dental care is in the right hands. Not only do pediatric dentists have the skills and tools to treat a child, they genuinely love working with children. A caring, compassionate pediatric dentist will work extra hard to build a positive relationship with each child, so they have a positive association with the dentist for years to come. Without this foundation of trust, children could potentially grow up with dental anxiety that prevents them from seeking medical help as adults. Establishing a dental home with a consistent and reliable provider is essential to maintaining healthy teeth from infancy to early adulthood.
For both family and pediatric dentists, scheduling a consultation to discuss your child’s individual needs and have them meet the doctor beforehand should be available. Finding the best dental care provider for your child can be an intricate process. We want that to be as easy as possible for you.
The staff at Cumberland Valley Pediatric Dentistry is specially trained to work with children and is committed to providing quality pediatric dental care.
