Children’s Dentistry: Why See a Pediatric Dentist?
Children’s Dentistry is very different to general dentistry. The obvious differences are the age of patients but the key to dentistry for children is in establishing good oral hygiene habits.
Typically a child should see a dentist for the first time by the time they reach their first birthday or within the first six months after his or her first tooth appears.
Why See a Pediatric Dentist at Age 1
The first time your child visits a dentist is an important step that will have a tremendous impact on the rest of their lives. The timing of the visit is meant to give the dentist an opportunity to examine your child’s teeth for signs of decay.
In addition, the exam will be to check your child’s bite and to visually check out gums, jaw and potential issues with oral tissues. The findings from these ‘checks’ may result in a cleaning and fluoride treatment.
This is also the visit where the dentist will review oral health care basics for your child and provide you will all the information you will need. Further dental development issues, if the dentist sees signs of any, will also be discussed at this time. This is what children’s dentistry is all about.
Choosing a Pediatric Dentist for Your Child
There are a number of factors to consider when you are about to choose a dentist for your child. Probably the quickest way to get a bit of an idea on what to expect from a pediatric dentist is to visit the office. But before you do that you will need to do some homework. Choosing a dentist for your child is a serious decision that can have a long lasting effect on him or her.
If you are having difficulty with this decision, ask for assistance from those you are close to. Ask your general dentist if they can suggest a children’s dentist. Friends, family and other parents will be able to provide some guidance as well. Once you narrow down your choices, call or visit the children’s dentistry office.
What to Expect at the Children’s Dentistry Office
If you visit the dentist’s office with a checklist of questions, you probably won’t be the first one to do so, nor will you be the last. Anyone who practices dentistry for children will be expecting you to check them out to see if they are a good match for your child. At Forster Dental Centre will look forward to your visit and can show you around and provide you with all the information you need to help you with your decision.
We know that professional office buildings can appear to be scary places to youngsters, especially when they see our dental staff wearing masks all the time! Our goal is to make the first and following visits to the dentist a pleasant and comfortable experience for both your child and for you.
Children’s Dentistry is All About a Good Start
Healthy teeth are important. You will want yours to be as healthy and strong as possible for as long as you live. If you have a great smile with few cavities it is because you have taken care of your teeth. When it comes to dentistry for children, the challenge is in introducing good oral health habits early in life so that they become part of a daily routine.
Once good oral hygiene becomes a routine, the dentists at Forster Dental Centre are here to provide the support and follow-up visits to monitor progress. We want to see everyone with a perfect, bright and straight smile and will provide you with the educational tools you’ll need to keep your son or daughter on that path between visits to our office. Children’s dentistry is just part of what we do and to find out more about this and other dental services available, call us on (02) 6555 5554.
Forster dentist is also serving local communities in Tuncurry, Pacific Palms, Smiths Lake, Hallidays Point, Failford, Old Bar, Nabiac, Taree, Manning Valley, Bulahdelah, Harrington and Great Lakes.