A paediatric dentist is a well trained dental professional who is committed to ensuring that infants, toddlers, preteens, and teenagers have excellent oral health.
Paediatric dentists care for the health of the mouth, gums, and teeth of children. It is expected that to qualify as a paediatric dentist a person would have completed dental school which takes a minimum of four years to conclude. In addition to this, the person would also be expected to have spent a couple of years as a resident trainee dentist.
It is expected that during their time as a resident trainee they would have received sufficient training in paediatric dentistry. Their focus would have also been on meeting the dental needs of children with special needs along with providing infants, toddlers, preteens, and teenagers with the best possible dental care available.
Dental Care for Children
Typically, baby teeth will be seen in infants within 6 months of their birth. When a child gets to the age of between 6 and 7 years, they begin to lose their baby teeth. The baby teeth are then replaced with a set of permanent, secondary teeth.
Dental care at an early stage in a child’s life is important. A paediatric dentist will ensure that the risk of oral disease and tooth decay in children is reduced to the barest minimum.
In children oral disease and tooth decay can be very painful and leave long lasting psychological scars. As a matter of fact, the highly infectious oral disease known as dental caries is believed to be five times more prevalent in preteens than an asthmatic condition. Also, dental caries, is believed to be seven times more prevalent in children than a common hay fever.
Types of Paediatric Dental Treatment
Paediatric dentists are well trained in the following;
Performing Oral examinations on Infants
Paediatric dentists are trained to carry out comprehensive oral health check ups on infants. They are trained to look for and detect caries in both the mother and infant. They assess the risk of possible caries to the infant.
Preventive Dental Care
They also carry out preventive dental care which include oral cleaning as well as fluoride based treatment. Paediatric dentists also recommend proper diet and nutrition for a perfect oral health in children.
Counseling on Habits
A Paediatric dentist also helps with counseling mothers on how to get their children to quit certain habits that are deemed detrimental to their oral health. Such habits include; thumb sucking, teeth grinding, and nail biting.
Orthodontic Care
Orthodontics is a term used to describe a condition where a person’s bite angles are NOT normal. Paediatric dentists will assess the child and recommend the right treatment to help straighten out the child’s teeth.
Cavity repair and the detection of other ailments
Apart from repairing cavities, Paediatric dentists also help in diagnosing a myriad of oral conditions in children. Some symptoms of more serious health conditions manifest themselves in oral conditions. Ailments such as hay fever, asthma, congenital heart defects, and diabetes can be detected early through an assessment of a child’s oral health by a paediatric dentist.
Paediatric dentists also help in managing gum disease in children as well as treating conditions such as mucoceles, short frenulae, pediatric periodontal disease, and mouth ulcers. Dental injuries like teeth that have been knocked out, displaced, or fractured would also be cared for by a qualified paediatric dentist.
If you are located in Gosford and you need a paediatric dentist, you can visit Kariong Dental Care on the Central Coast today.
