While there are specialized areas of dentistry that require different medical degrees, when it comes to a general dentist, they are virtually all trained to be able to treat anyone from birth all the way up to the most elderly people in America. With that in mind, it can be surprising to learn that a bunch of dentists practice what is known as pediatric dentistry, where they only (or at least mainly) prefer to treat children. Considering that any trained dentist can treat a child, you may be wondering why to bother with pediatric dental care services, and the answer may surprise you.
Not All Dentists Will Treat Children
While all dentists are trained to treat children, that does not mean that all dentists will treat children. Some are simply happier to stick with adult teeth for one reason or another. Perhaps they have been treating adults for so long that they might feel a little out of depth with a child and simply want to give you the best care possible by referring you to a pediatric dentist. For whatever reason, there are quite a few dentists who will flat out deny an appointment with a child, so if that has happened to you, you should seek out pediatric dental care services instead.
More Equipped To Deal With Child-Specific Dental Issues
Pediatric dentists have a lot more experience with dental issues that solely affect children, from baby teeth to rare gum diseases and everything in between. Your pediatric dentist has probably seen and fixed it all, while more general dentists could miss something due to unfamiliarity. You are also going to more than likely get a faster service due to how often your dentist sees these common issues in children. This short turnaround will help your child feel less nervous and make the whole process easier for everyone involved.
Patient Management Skills
Dealing with children and calming their nerves while reassuring them that everything is going to be alright is no simple task. It takes years of practice for a dentist to get good at reading social cues from children to see whether they are calm or if they are about to have a panic attack. It also takes a very good communicator to be able to explain to a child what is going wrong with their teeth and what they need to do to fix them. Involving the child and letting them know what is happening is key to a good outcome and a happy child that isn't scared of the dentist.
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