While you may have heard of pediatric dentists, you may not understand how they are different from a general dentist. Today, our team at SmileTown North Delta explains what a pediatric dentist is and how they can help your child.
Our team at SmileTown North Delta is often asked what the difference is between a pediatric dentist and a regular dentist. Essentially, a pediatric dentist is a dental professional who specializes in the treatment of oral health issues in children and teens.
Parents may wonder what particular training and qualifications make a pediatric dentist qualified to treat children. In this post, we'll give a quick overview of what a pediatric dentist does and how they differ from a general dentist.
Qualifications & Training
Pediatric Dentistry is one of a range of 9 dental specialties that are recognized by the Canadian Dental Association.
In order to become a dentist, a person has to attend and graduate form dental school. Some people will then move on to practice as dentists after they graduate.
In order to qualify as a pediatric dentist in Canada, Dental school graduates continue their education and training by completing an accredited advanced education program in pediatric dentistry. They must hold this specialty designation from a Provincial Dental Regulatory Authority.
What do Pediatric Dentists do?
Pediatric dentists care for the specific oral health needs of children, including all ages from babies to teenagers.
Some of the areas that pediatric dentists deal with on a daily basis include:
- Infant oral health exams - including risk assessment for cavities
- Preventive dental care - such as dental check ups, oral hygiene, fluoride treatments, and nutritional and dietary recommendations
- Habit counseling - thumb sucking and pacifier habit breaking, for instance
- Early orthodontic assessment & treatment - the straightening of teeth and correcting of improper bites (malocclusion)
- Fillings for cavities or tooth defects
- Diagnoses of oral conditions sometimes associated with diseases, such as asthma, congenital heart defects, diabetes, hay fever, and ADD / ADHD
- Gum diseases management
- Treatment of dental injuries (for example, fractured, broken, or knocked-out teeth)