When it comes to your child’s teeth, you can never be too careful. Their dentition should be top of your list of priorities to prevent pain, malformed adult teeth in the future, and long-term oral health issues.
But what, specifically do you need to know about paediatric dentistry – or the type of dental treatment that focuses on the needs of children? Well, you’re about to find out. This post explores the topic in-depth, giving you a primer you can take with you through your parenting journey.
It Starts At Birth
Many parents are surprised to discover that paediatric dentistry starts from birth. Newborns can go to the dental clinic within hours of birth if medics believe they have dental issues.
Most children go to the dentist from the age of 6 months onwards and continue until 16. Trained practitioners understand the issues and specialise in treating them.
It Is Evolving
No surprise that paediatric dentistry is an evolving field. Dental practitioners are upgrading their approaches and techniques continuously, in line with the latest evidence from the scientific literature. New technologies and research frequently enable better equipment or new approaches to standard medical problems.
It Is Collaborative
Paediatric dentistry is also a collaborative field. Practitioners regularly work alongside other specialists to provide the highest quality of care to their under-16 patients. For instance, many form partnerships with oral surgeons, general dentists, and anaesthetists if children require general anaesthetics.
It Is Effective
Paediatric dentists can also offer a range of treatments designed to help improve children’s teeth problems. Experienced professionals can fix over-bit, under-bite, diastema, crooked teeth, cavities, and bleeding gums. The list of treatment options is extensive and includes practically everything you’d encounter in an adult clinic, including orthodontics, sealants, and various tooth restoration procedures.
It Is Helpful
Paediatric dentistry is also helpful for solving problems with kids’ teeth quickly. Dentists can resolve issues before they become a risk for later life and significantly affect adult teeth developing in the gums.
It Can Give You Guidance
Another benefit of paediatric dentistry is how it helps parents understand the role they need to play in the health of their children’s teeth and gums. Practitioners will often explain what parents need to do to prevent problems with their kids’ oral health. They can even provide tailored, bespoke advice to children. Paediatric dentists receive extra training to prepare for these interactions.
It Helps Prevent Oral Health Issues
Paediatric dentistry is also highly preventative. Practitioners will often give parents much-needed guidance and advice on how to stop their children from damaging their teeth and some of the strategies they can use.
These types of dentists are particularly helpful for parents of children with complex medical conditions or special needs. Many have experience working with kids that find it challenging to go to the dentist or who require reassurance.
That’s a brief summary of what you need to know about paediatric dentistry. Ideally, you should take your child for their first checkup as early as you can in their life to get them used to the idea of going to the dentist.
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