A pediatric dentist is a dentist who performs their work on children. This requires a distinct set of skills and practices, as the teeth of children and young adults can often be quite different from the teeth of full-grown adults. Still, many people wonder: What ages do pediatric dentists treat? We answer this question and share more about pediatric dentists below.
What Is Pediatric Dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is a field of dentistry that focuses on the health and well-being of children’s teeth. It exists because the needs of the teeth of children are different from those of adults. Pediatric, in this case, can range from young infants to teenagers. A pediatric dentist is trained to deal with the dental issues faced by patients of any age on this spectrum.
Why Are Pediatric Dentists Important?
There are several reasons that a pediatric dentist can be an important part of your child’s upbringing. One of the primary reasons that this is beneficial is that it fortifies your children’s dental health for later in life, as well as gets them into the habit of visiting the dentist on a regular basis.
Generally, it is recommended that a child begins visiting the dentist as soon as their first teeth start coming in. During these first visits to a pediatric dentist, you as a parent will be educated on the kinds of habits that you can imbue on your children at home to help them maintain optimal dental health.
What Ages Do Pediatric Dentists Treat?
The range of ages that a pediatric dentist can treat is wide. Usually, pediatric dentists can treat issues of the mouth in individuals ranging from infancy to the late teens.
Part of the reason for the wide age range is that adolescents require the same dental treatments at different ages. For example, though a dentist cannot know the exact age at which a child will need braces, they can know how to provide orthodontics to a growing mouth.
Your pediatric dentist will be able to inform you and your child of the appropriate time for them to move on from the services of pediatric dentistry to the services of an adult dentist.
Key Components of Pediatric Dentistry
For infants and very young children, early dental care is mostly about safeguarding against early problems and educating parents about teeth-healthy habits that they can maintain at home. In general, parents can expect their child’s first baby teeth to come in around six months of age.
In addition, at this stage of life, you will likely discuss how to manage some of the discomforts of teething, as well as any precautions to take as the baby teeth are replaced by adult teeth.
Part of the purpose of pediatric dentistry is to inform you about what to expect as your child develops. You should also use this time to ask questions about your child’s dental health.
As your child ages and develops, the focus will shift to establishing good levels of care for their adult-age teeth. For many teenagers, this means orthodontic appliances that will help their adult teeth come in as healthily as possible. In addition, this can mean assisting your dentist in the quest to keep your child from using tobacco products. These can have a devastating effect on the health of their teeth (along with many other possible health issues).
Overall, you can assist your dentist by staying attentive to their advice and directions throughout all stages of childhood.
Pediatric Dentistry in Southern California
Encino Family Dental is highly regarded for the quality of its dental practices. It provides personalized care to each patient so you can love your smile. If you are interested in having your child visit with an esteemed pediatric dentist, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
