Even the most experienced mom will tell you that it is painful to watch her baby feel so pitiful during teething. Once those teeth start to come in, it’s time to start visiting the dentist. 

But where are you going to go? If you’re thinking about taking your infant or toddler to your normal family dentist, maybe you should think again.  After all, you wouldn’t take him or her to your GP, would you? Nope! There’s a special doctor’s office for your children; a pediatrician is specially trained to look for symptoms and diagnose sickness or disease in children. The same thing applies for your child’s teeth. Here are three reasons to take your child to a pediatric dentist:

Establish Dental Habits Early: You know it’s important to have your child’s teeth examined and cleaned regularly.  You want him or her to develop great preventive dental habits. And if you had traumatic experiences with a dentist as a child, you are probably anxious to NOT repeat that experience in your child’s life. +

A pediatric dentist’s practice puts children at ease. Everything in the office is designed to develop a good rapport so that your child wants to visit the dentist. This makes it easier to examine, clean, and treat the teeth, as well as teach good dental hygiene.By the time they are a teenager and caring for their teeth more independently, your child should think of the dentist with positivity, as a place to receive comfortable care to be healthy, a mindset that will hopefully last into adulthood.

Child Appropriate/Friendly Equipment: Your toothbrush and your child’s toothbrush are not the same size, are they? Even your toothpaste has a different flavor. Can you even imagine cleaning your child’s teeth with adult sized tools? Now translate that cumbersome situation to the dentist’s chair. 

When you take your child to a regular family dentist, they are faced with adult equipment, from the chair to the polishing paste, even to the staff working with them! At a pediatric dentist, the chair may be open for Mom or Dad to hold the child. The equipment is appropriate for a child, in size and appearance. The pediatric dentist and his staff are trained and used to working with smaller teeth, mouths, and the tiny minds that go with them!

Trained Specifically for Expert Children’s Dentistry: Finally, perhaps most importantly, pediatric dentists are specialists. They have studied and trained for at least two extra years to become board certified to diagnose and treat problems specific to a child’s dental health, such as eruption concerns, abscessed baby teeth, and orthognathic development. Furthermore, they are trained to provide preventive dental resources to children as well as the adults who care for them. Like your pediatrician, a pediatric dentist is your child’s best dental health option!

Finding a good fit for your family can be a challenge. Look for recommendations and great patient reviews as well as a provider who can take your insurance. You’ll be glad you placed your child’s dental health as a priority!