Pediatric Dentist vs General Dentist: Right Choice for Your Children?

When parents look for a dentist for their children, there are several things they are considering. Parents want to make sure the children get the best dental care possible. They also want to make sure children are feeling comfortable around the dentist, and have a positive experience that will last them a lifetime. They also want to build a great relationship with the dentist and everyone in the office. A prevailing question always comes up: “Should I take my children to a family/general dentist or a pediatric dentist specialist, do I need them both?”

Pediatric dentists have 2-3 years additional training immediately following dental school. This specialized schooling focuses on child psychology, behavior management and development. Due to the training with pediatric demographics, pediatric dentist exclusively work with pint-sized patients, and are versed in interacting with infants, children, and special health care needs. As a pediatric dentistry office, we tend to revolve around children. We have a play area, we used smaller tools that look more kid-friendly, and we are great at explaining dental produces and terms to our patients. Because we only treat children, our experience enables us to quickly identify issues unique to children, and help solve those issues as well.

A family dentist and/or general, on the other hand, provide a range of services and are focusing from young to old and on the more general issues and like reducing plaque building around teeth, eliminating tooth decay, filling cavities, and ensuring that gums remain health.

Because pediatric dentistry offices are designed with kids in mind, the kids friendly atmosphere will make children less anxious and feel more at ease. Pediatric specialist are also trained in dealing with children of special needs, including wide spectrum of autism, down syndrome, cleft palate and any other conditions. Pediatric dentist have extensive knowledge when it comes to preventative care for kids, including thumb sucking custom made appliances.

While a family/general dentist can certainly care for children and help prevent cavities, only pediatric dentist can provide the specialized care children need and deserve. In a same way parents visit a pediatrician, we encourage parents taking children to a pediatric dentist at Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics.