What is pediatric dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is a special field of dentistry that focuses on the unique oral health needs of children and adolescents.
When should a child first visit
a pediatric dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends having an initial visit at age one. This is about the time that the front four central incisors appear. Early visits to a pediatric dentist may help minimize or prevent future dental problems.
Why is pediatric dentistry important?
Preventive dentistry will help form a healthy smile for your child and improve chances of good overall health. With a healthy mouth, children will have increased confidence in their appearance. It also means less extensive and less expensive future treatment.
What are early childhood caries?
Also known as baby bottle syndrome or nursing bottle caries, these cavities begin during the first years of life when a child is fed with a bottle or through natural nursing methods. Whichever feeding method is used, the child is at risk if food substance is allowed to stay covering the teeth. Bacteria in the mouth will convert this leftover food substance and plaque around the gums into acid which will begin enamel breakdown. Every child is at risk for early childhood caries, but it can be easily prevented by regular brushing and flossing.
What is a pediatric dentist?
After completing dental school, a pediatric dentist has an additional two to three years of training. This specialized training allows the doctor to provide thorough treatment for a wide variety of children’s dental concerns.
What takes place during the first visit?
The first visit includes an initial consultation, exam, x-rays and cleaning. Dr. Hishaw or Dr. Priya and the team will discuss a program of simple, preventive dental care and address various pediatric dental care issues.
Why are primary (baby) teeth important?
Primary teeth play an essential role in the development of a child’s smile. They allow a child to chew food properly as well as allow for correct pronunciation and speech. Primary teeth hold space for the permanent teeth to erupt into and aid in the correct development of the jaws. A healthy smile is dependent on these “baby” teeth so it is important to care for them correctly.
How should I care for my child’s teeth?
It is very important for parents to be involved in their child’s dental hygiene routine. Establish a healthy diet, daily tooth brushing and flossing as well as regular dental visits. Steps taken now will help build a lifetime of good oral health habits. See our Smile Steps section for further details about how to ensure a healthy, beautiful smile for your child.
Did You Know?
Four things are necessary for cavities to form:
- a tooth
- bacteria
- sugars or other carbohydrates, and
- time.
It is very important to care for your young child’s teeth. Early Childhood Caries (ECC), or tooth decay can affect a child’s body weight, growth and the overall quality of life of a child.
The leading causes of cavities are a diet of high sugars and lack of brushing and flossing. The longer your child chews on their food, the longer the residue stays on their teeth, the more acid forms and the greater the chances of cavities.
What Causes tooth decay?
- Bacteria that live on teeth consumes sugar and then uses it to manufacture acids
- The acids dissolve teeth
- The dissolved tooth becomes infected
- This infection is called decay
Parental involvement is extremely important. Prepare your child for their first visit by reinforcing a positive attitude:
- Playing pretend dentist
- Reading books that involve a dental visit
Pedodontics is the branch of dentistry dealing with the teeth and mouth conditions of children. Pediatric dentistry is the specialty of dentistry that focuses on the oral health and unique needs of young people.
Children should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.
It is very important that primary teeth are kept in place until they are lost naturally. These teeth serve a number of critical functions.
