People young and old generally don’t often think of the dentist as an enjoyable time. But as a parent, you want the best for your child. Maybe you have heard some things about a pediatric dentist so you question if it is necessary to even go to a pediatric dentist for your child. Today Smile Reef clear some things up about pediatric dentists and go over a few of the myths that you may have heard to set the record straight.
Myth 1: Do Babies Really Need to Go to the Dentist?
Even though a baby’s teeth fall out that does not mean that you should not worry about those teeth. Baby teeth are very important and providing proper dental care can help teach your child the importance of taking care of their teeth. Starting young going to the dentist helps them get used to the dentist so that they do not have anxiety about going to the dentist. It helps the dentist know how your child’s teeth are doing. This way they do not only have to come to the dentist for invasive dental procedures. You should be taking your child to the dentist at least when they are one year old or when they have started developing their first tooth.
Myth 2: Is Pediatric & General Dentistry the Same
Having young children you know that trying something or going somewhere new can be scary. You want to have your child have the best experience they can when it comes to the dentist. The great thing about pediatric dentistry is that they are its own specialized branch. A dentist attends additional residency programs beyond just dentistry training. They understand more about your child’s teeth. Plus, most people that are in pediatric dentistry are great with children and know that it can be scary, and make it the best that they can for that child.
Myth 3: Do Dentists Only Use Sedation for Painful Procedures
As a parent, you often worry about your child. When your child needs sedation for a dental procedure, as a parent you can at times be more worried about your child, than your child is. However, sedation is perfectly safe. As long as they are not allergic or have any other underlying conditions there should not be a problem with your child getting sedated. There are different types of ways the dentist will sedate the child. They will use nitrous oxide or you may know it as laughing gas. They may use pills or even needles if necessary. They will use sedation for painful procedures but they can also use it to help calm down a child that has severe anxiety or if your child has an extreme gag reflex.
Myth 4: Can Teeth Hurt After a Checkup?
It is never fun having someone put their hands in your mouth trying to clean your teeth. But typically, a checkup is pain-free. It can be more dental anxiety than the actual pain in the mouth. As pediatric dentistry, we know that children have fear of the dentist and we can make it an enjoyable experience for the child so that their anxiety will go down and they can learn that going to the dentist is not painful but important.
Pediatric Dentistry
It is very important that you take your child to the dentist. If you were looking for a pediatric dentist then give Smile Reef a call today to schedule an appointment.
