Most babies enter the world toothless and gum their way through the first stage of life. By their first birthday, your baby will have a few teeth and be ready for their first dentist visit. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first dental visit occur by their first birthday or within six months of the eruption of their first tooth.
At your child’s first dental appointment at Families First, a pediatric dentist may discuss topics with you such as emerging oral health checkpoints or concerns, infant feeding practices, keeping your baby’s mouth clean, teething, tooth decay, and more. Early dental visits may include inspection of your child’s teeth, jaws, gums, bite lineup, and overall oral development. Your child’s teeth may or may not be x-rayed or cleaned during their first visit.
From there, your child will continue to have regular dental visits every 6 months to develop and maintain good oral health. Your child’s first visit sets the stage for their relationship with us as their dentist. These early childhood appointments allow your child to explore and experience our dental office firsthand while interacting with our dental staff. Our Free Under Three program provides you and your child the perfect opportunity to ensure your child has an outstanding first-time dental experience.
What’s the difference between a general dentist, a family dentist, a children’s dentist, or a pediatric dentist?
Dentist offices often advertise themselves in various ways to attract a specific client base. The label of “general dentist” is straightforward. These offices are intended to treat patients of all ages, but they truly focus on treating adults.
The “family dentist” is another way to say that a dentist treats children and adults. It’s functionally the same as a general dentist but may suggest a more balanced focus than a general dentist. In both cases, “general dentists” and “family dentists” have only completed 4 years of dental school training with little to no emphasis in treating children.
To make things a little more confusing, there are even some dental offices that choose to advertise themselves as “children’s dentists”. Although these offices do focus on treating children, their dental providers have usually only completed the same amount of training as a general dentist or family dentist.
Pediatric dentists, by contrast, have undergone two or three years of additional training to specialize in treating the specific needs of your child. At Families First, we believe that your child deserves the best care possible and are proud that our dental providers have completed this important additional training and have become licensed pediatric dentists.
Why Pediatric Dentists Are Uniquely Qualified to Treat Children’s Dental Needs
After dental school, pediatric dentists complete a minimum of a two-year pediatric dentistry residency program. These programs immerse dentists in study and clinical experience. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, “the trainee learns advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures, along with child psychology and clinical management, oral pathology, child-related pharmacology, radiology, child development, management of oral/facial trauma, care for patients with special needs, conscious sedation, and general anesthesia.”
Pediatric training also focuses heavily on communication techniques. It’s not enough to understand how little mouths are different; pediatric dentists also have to communicate in ways kids can understand. Like all patients, children deserve to know what’s being done to their bodies, and pediatric dentists are trained to explain treatments in developmentally appropriate language.
The Benefits of a Pediatric Dentist
During adolescence, your child’s mouth will go through a series of changes. Pediatric dentists understand and are trained to incorporate those changes into their treatment plans. They’ll observe the current state of your child’s mouth, establish trends, and predict how it will likely change. They may even be able to identify and mitigate issues before they cause real trouble.
Growing mouths: Your child’s mouth is constantly changing, and those changes impact your child’s oral health. Pediatric dentists are experts in child-specific dental issues and how your child’s mouth will evolve. They’ll take those changes into account during treatment. For instance, after pulling a tooth, our dental providers may or may not suggest a dental spacer, depending on how many adult teeth are forthcoming and how likely the surrounding teeth are to move over time.
Friendly and comforting: In addition to the biological differences between baby and adult teeth, pediatric dentists are trained to understand your child’s mind. Training in child psychology helps our pediatric dentists put little minds at ease. They are trained to create a safe, welcoming environment that minimizes discomfort and fear. The idea isn’t just to treat children medically but also to create a comfortable experience that promotes good oral health for life.
A dose of fun: While many dentist’s offices are sterile and clinical, our offices at Families First are catered to help your child have a fun dental experience. You will find colorful pictures, themed patient beds, fish tanks, flavored toothpaste, ceiling-mounted televisions, and of course prizes on your way out the door. If you are lucky, you may even catch our dental staff dressed up in a funny theme for the day!
While the most important thing is getting your little one to the dentist, here at Families First we are proud that we can offer a more tailored experience, a more comfortable setting, and more specialized care. Dental care and oral hygiene are lifelong endeavors, but making an appointment for your baby to visit a pediatric dentist will give them the best possible start to strong, healthy teeth.
