Pediatric dentistry is a dental specialty that focuses on the oral health of infants, children, adolescents and patients with special health care needs A pediatric dentist receives an additional two or three years of specialized training beyond the four years of dental school. The very young, pre-teens, and teenagers all need different approaches in dealing with their behavior, guiding their dental growth and development, and helping them avoid future dental problems. The pediatric dentist is best qualified to meet these needs.

“First visit by first birthday” is the general rule. To prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears, usually between 6 and 12 months of age, certainly no later than his/her first birthday. This visit will enable your child’s dentist to evaluate your child and introduce you to proper oral hygiene. Diet, fluoride, finger and pacifier habits will be discussed to insure optimal dental health. Early visits also help establish a positive relationship between the dentist and your child.

Certainly! We do not have any policy that restricts parents from being with their child during their visit. We do feel that children vary as individuals. It has been our experience that most children do better with the parents waiting in the reception area. However, there are exceptions, and there are certain children who will have a better experience if the parents are with them throughout the visit.

Primary, or “baby,” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected. Also, because tooth decay is really an infection and will spread, decay on baby teeth can cause decay on permanent teeth. Proper care of baby teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of the your child.

At about 6 months, the two lower front teeth (central incisors) will erupt, followed shortly by the two upper central incisors. The remainder of the baby teeth appear during the next 18 to 24 months but not necessarily in an orderly sequence from front to back. At 2 to 3 years, all of these 20 primary teeth should be present.

Sore gums when teeth erupt are part of the normal eruption process. The discomfort is eased for some children by use of a teething biscuit, a piece of toast or a frozen teething ring. Your pharmacy should also have medications that can be rubbed on the gums to reduce the discomfort.