It is never easy to find a dentist you can rely on. And in many towns, it can be especially difficult to find a pediatric dentist, someone who focuses on your child's oral health. For this reason, many parents have been forced to ask how do I find a pediatric dentist near me?
Who is a Pediatric Dentist?
A pediatric dentist is a specialist in dealing with the oral health of children ranging from neonates to kids in their teen years. Basically, they can do everything the usual dentist undo. Apart from taking care of the tooth and gum, they know exactly what to find at the different stages of the child's teeth development. Your choice of a pediatric dentist has a huge role to play in your child's oral health. It even goes as far as affecting other aspects of the health of your child. Taking your time to find the right pediatric dentists for your child goes a long way in affecting them later on in life.
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The oral health begins as soon as they develop their first set of teeth around the first six months of growth. By the time your child gets to the age of six, they will begin losing their temporary teeth. Permanent teeth will grow to replace the lost teeth.
Ensuring that your child is getting the best dental care at every stage of their teeth development is extremely important. The best dental care possible will help prevent periodontal diseases or tooth decay in the future.
Know The Difference Between A Pediatric And Family Dentist
A pediatric dentist specializes in dealing with children's oral health, apart from going through the usual Dental course in a school accredited to do so. The paediatric dentist also has to receive up to two to three years of extra training learning how to take care of the oral health of children and teens.
The extra training ensures that they can recognize tooth problems quickly in children, especially those that happen more frequently in children. This way, they can realize tooth problems quicker in children.
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On the other hand, your regular dentist is dental professionals capable of providing oral health services to people of all ages rather than just children. A pediatric dentist must go through two or more years of extra training. After that, he or she will be certified by the American Academy of pediatric dentistry. A pediatric dentist can only focus on children's oral health in most countries.
Because of their training, pediatric dentists can easily detect any tooth development problem or spot signs that your child is not brushing properly.
They are also trained to be better at communicating with children. This is because they have received training and experience to know what can harm your kid as they work. It is not always necessary that your child goes to a pediatric dentist all the time. The most important thing is to have a trained and experienced licensed dentist take care of your child's oral health.
What training do pediatric dentists have?
Pediatric s dentistsalso receive the same education just like regular dentists, but they also have to go through specialized training to care properly for children's oral health. The training they go through includes.
• Four years of dental school train like regular dentists
• Two extra years of special training into the dental health of children, which includes children with special needs
Finding the Best Pediatric Dentist in Your Area
The chances are that you began looking for a pediatric dentist probably by typing “pediatric dentist near me” into your Google search or any other search engine on the internet. This is not a worse way to start, going with this method will show you every available dentist near you. At the same time, it will ignore the quality of their service and their qualifications. To help you, we have compiled some of the best ways you can find a reliable pediatric dentist near you:
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Use an Online Search Tool
It is almost impossible not to get what you're looking for on the internet in our current world, and this also applies to pediatric dentists. You can try typing in the search phrase, “kids dentist near me.”
Some great sites give you the chance to find a certified pediatric dentist near you; one of such sites is Yelp. You can easily search for a reliable pediatric dentist near you by visiting Yelp, a directory with filter reviews.
Another great way to find an experienced pediatric dentist is to go to www.authoritydental.org/dentists/nearme.
Read Online Reviews
Performing a quick search can help you easily find a number of good pediatric dentists. After this, the next step is to read online reviews of the pediatric dentists available. This way, you can ensure that the dentist you want has a reputable history.
Online reviews help you know what to expect from a dentist and how good they are dealing with children. You can get information about their services and how good they are with children. Basically, you can learn about their manner of approach to their job.
If you see frequent happy reviews from parents and other patients, then that means the dentist is reliable. On the other hand, if you come across many complaints and negative reviews, you should run the other way. A Pediatric dentist with a bad reputation is not someone you want to take care of your child's oral health.
When you come across someone with a good reputation, the next thing you need to do is to book an appointment. An appointment will allow you to see what the pediatric dentist is like in person.
Ask for Referrals From Those You Trust
For many parents, one of the fastest ways to get a reliable pediatric dentist is to ask their friends and family if they know anyone they can trust. Asking family and friends is a great way to go about this because you receive first-hand experience from people who have tested the dentist's services.
Apart from asking your friends and family, you can also ask your family doctor or pediatrician if they know a Pediatric dentist that will be suitable for your child.
Book Consultations With Each Pediatric Dentist
After deciding on the pediatric dentist you want to go to, the next step is to book an appointment. A Pediatrics dentist will be ready to arrange for a consultation where you are, and your kid can visit and learn more about your child's situation room and what they can do to help you. The dentist will not perform or carry out dental work in this first visit. You will just visit and find out more about the services he or she has to offer and learn more about what your child needs.
You also get the opportunity to see the dentist with your own eyes. This way, you can watch him, or her interact with your child and how comfortable your child is around them before actually beginning any treatment. In summary, booking an appointment is a way of knowing that you are getting the best quality treatment.
How to know if a dentist is reliable?
Several factors determine if a dentist is reliable, and they include:
Reviews
This is one of the best ways you can know if the dentist you're going to hire is reliable. Generally, you can get reviews from the internet by going to Yelp. Social media is another great way to check out the dentist you want for your child. You can also get reviews of the dentist by asking your friends and family for referrals. This way, you get first-hand physical reviews of the dentist from people you trust.
Certification
If there's one thing you want to avoid when looking for a pediatric dentist for your child is a dentist that is not certified. Dentists without certification mean they are not qualified to practice. A certified pediatric dentist must go through four years of dental school with two or more additional years of training as a pediatric dentist. In the end, a dentist must be certified by the American Board of pediatric dentistry or the American Board of Orthodontics. If he or she isn't, then look for someone that it's approved.
Main Expertise
This factor is a major factor to consider when looking for a pediatric dentist. You need to determine the area of specialty of the dentist you are choosing.
In certain countries, dentists specializing in a particular aspect can only practice in their specialty area. It simply means that they can function as a general dentist. If your child needs special attention, you will be referred to a specialized practice. However, this is not always true in certain countries like Britain and some provinces in Canada, where people with specialized parties are allowed to function as general practitioners. The American Dental Association recognizes nine specialties in the country. They include pediatric dentistry, prosthodontist oral and maxillofacial pathology, public health dentistry, orthodontics, dental facial orthopedics, periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, and oral and maxillofacial radiology.
Accessibility
It is best to look for a dentist that stays or practices a little bit close to your residence. You should also consider the working hours of the practice when choosing a dentist. This way, your child can see the dentist quickly and as often as possible, especially in case of emergency.
Insurance
Insurance if you have dental insurance, then it is better to choose a dentist that will accept your insurance. You can find the closest dental practice near you that approves you insurance plan of has it’s own payment play by typing, “dentist with payment plan near me.”
Environment
Although the quality of care matters, it is important for you to visit the clinic to know how you feel about it.
You would want a welcoming and friendly clinic, so you should consider this when choosing a pediatric dentist for your child.
Dental Service Provided By Dentists
When looking for a dentist is important to consider the services they offer. A dental clinic's services include dental care, emergency dental services, Invisalign, crowns, dental implants, and others.
Dental Care
Apart from brushing your teeth two times a day and flossing regularly, you must maintain regular dental visits. This is to make sure that your smile is always bright and your oral hygiene is doing enough to keep any issue away.
So it is important to visit the dentist from time to time to check on the health of your teeth and that of your child.
Emergency
Choosing a dental clinic that offers emergency dental services is always better. Emergencies could range from losing crowns or filings and a broken or chipped tooth to severe toothache and tissue injury.
Emergency dental services can come in handy when you have any sudden severe toothache due to an infected gum, a fractured or an abscessed tooth. The treatment you receive depends on what is causing the pain. Sometimes you may need an X-ray to find out the cause of the pain. Treatment of such teeth issues ranges from tooth extraction to replacing damaged fillings.
Other situations where emergency dental services might come in handy are in cases of a knocked-out tooth. You might attempt to put the tooth back into the socket. When this is not possible, the best thing to do is store it in a cup. If you plan to wash the knocked-out tooth, do so gently while avoiding removing the attached tissue. To increase the chance of saving the tooth or returning it to the socket, you have to see a dentist within an hour for treatment.
Invisalign
The world has moved away from the traditional wire braces to using Invisalign. This virtually invisible device offers a ray of hope to many people that need such treatment.
3D computer imaging technology is responsible for the success of this treatment option. The only downside is that it is not suitable for the patient, and it requires adequate training to determine if the treatment is okay for you.
It comes with numerous advantages, such as being removable and transparent, and it offers users an opportunity to smile comfortably without much discomfort.
The greatest benefit of this treatment is that it is invisible and removable. This means you can eat and drink what you want with this treatment. Other benefits such as easy brushing and flossing can are convenient, and most importantly, they are more comfortable than the regular braces. What is more? You don't have to visit your dentist all the time for adjustment.
Dental Implants
Dental implants have made it possible for many people to smile happily even after having several damaged teeth. This therapeutic option is durable because it is installed into the bone and functions just like a real tooth. Although they can be more expensive than traditional dentures, they can last for many years; even decades.
When choosing a dental practice to take a child to or one for yourself, it's better to pick one that offers dental implants services. This is because you never know when you might need one.
Before a dental implant can be installed into your jawbone, the dentist will check the state of your teeth and gums. If your teeth and gums are in good health,, your dentist will proud you for a dental implant if you need one. Some people may need bone grafting or some other procedure before getting their dental implants.
Crowns
This treatment option offers many people a chance to get full use of their teeth. Crowns are used to replace a broken tooth's anterior and posterior sides. They are made from different materials like gold alloy, ceramic, or porcelain. Thanks to their realistic design, they feel just like a real tooth.
At what age should a child start seeing a pediatric dentist?
The best time for children to begin visiting the dental clinic is after their first tooth erupts. According to the America Dental Association, their first visit shouldn't be after their first birthday. It is not until your child has many teeth before you take them to see a dentist. You only need to see the dentist for advice and to determine the health of their gums and diet.
How much does a pediatric dentist cost?
You can spend between $30-$100 to secure the services of a pediatric dentist for routine cleaning. The amount of money you can spend is different for every state. If your child has dental insurance, it can cover any routine or even an emergency procedure.
Preparing your child for a dental visit
Show pictures
Before taking your child to the dental clinic, you can inform them of what to expect by showing them flashcards of pictures of a dentist's office. This way, they are not overwhelmed when they get to the clinic.
Show them a video
Thanks to YouTube, you have access to numerous videos you and your child can watch, so they feel more comfortable and maybe even excited to be going to see the dentist.
Go with toys
Encouraging your child to go with their favorite toy is a great way to make them feel comfortable.
Make a signal
You can work with your child to develop a signal that will inform both you and the dentist whenever they feel too uncomfortable or nervous.
Remain positive
Sometimes your child will not be the inky one nervous about visiting the dentist. It is tour job as a parent not to show it. Portray the dentist in a positive light so your child can be excited to be going to the clinic.
Can kids go to adult dentists?
Although your general dentist can handle certain routine procedures, seeing a pediatric dentist benefits.
A pediatric dentist can handle the health of your child's teeth until they are 18. Although they may change to a regular dentist before turning 18, a pediatric dentist is better at taking care of the health of your child during their teen years. They are better at looking out for cavities and dealing with damage from trauma due to sports and other outdoor activities.
They are also better at helping kids relax during dental treatments and helping them deal with insecurities about their teeth and smile. In certain situations, they may even be the first to detect signs of any eating disorder that is frequent during teen years.
One of the major reasons children's tooth is different from adults' because their oral health is complicated. And pediatric dentists are better at handling whatever might arise.
FAQ
How to find a cheap/affordable dentist near me?
The easiest way to find an affordable dental clinic near you is to perform a Google search with the keywords, “affordable dentist near me.” Other search phrases you can type to get the result you want include, “family dentist near me,” "walk-in dentist near me," "female dentist near me." If you are looking for a dentist for your child, then you can type the phrase, " kids dentist near me.”
The search results will display several results you can follow to locate the nearest affordable dentist near you. You can also go to www.authoritydental.org/dentists/nearme to find the cheapest dental facilities near you.
Which Certificated dentists got?
For a dentist to qualify as a pediatric dentist, they must go through 4 years of dental school with two or more additional years of training as a pediatric dentist. They will receive a certificate from the American Board of Dentistry.
How to get more info about a dentist by Facebook and social networks?
Many dentists have taken advantage of social media to increase the popularity of their practice. Thanks to this new development, they can reach a wider range of people. The advantage of reaching a wider audience is they connect to more patients in need of treatment. This is also good news for you because it means that you can always get more information about the dentist you plan to hire. You can see the services they offer displayed on their page or handle or by clicking a link to their sites. Many dentists also list their qualifications and certificates on their social media pages.
Another great thing about social media is that you can learn from other people's experience in dealing with the dentist. Many people will leave a review on the dentist's page. These reviews will give you an idea of what to expect from the dentist. You can also decide if you should book an appointment or forget about the dentist.