How to Find the Best Pediatric Dentist Near Me?
We always seek counsel when it comes to finding a doctor, hospital, or treatment we don’t know. But let’s be honest, most of the time, the needs of your friends do not align with yours, especially if their recommendations are out of town.
We know children are tough customers, and pediatric dentistry is not easy. They personalized and controlled spaces that are also fun and friendly. This is paramount to make them feel comfortable.
What Is Pediatric Dentistry?
Dentistry for adults is not that different from pediatric dentistry when you consider the object of study is dental health and teeth. Even though children are small humans in development, in some aspects, they are from another universe.
The approach pediatric dentists have to their patients has nothing to do with adult dentistry. Plus, children have baby teeth and go through the dentition process. They also have other priorities that leave no place to care for oral hygiene and tooth decay.
While any dental health professional can help children, not all of them have the training to do so. Pediatric dentists invest years after their general degree in dental health in learning how to handle certain situations.
Children have unique needs, making their specialized treatment considerably different from that of adult patients. Primary teeth are more susceptible to cavities, and what happens to them has effects on permanent teeth.
Why Are Most Little Kids Afraid of Dentists and When Should They Go?
The best way to care for your child’s dental health is to take them to see a professional, and the best time is as soon as you can. When your kid has their first baby teeth, you should take them to visit a dentist who will guide you.
To prevent a child from having a fear of dentists is essential to choose a certified and amicable professional with a nice dental home. Regularly visiting the dental practice will make the whole activity more familiar.
Controlling your kid’s oral health and scheduling dental examinations twice a year prevents the development of complex issues, meaning the visits will be short and easy.
Why Is Dental Care Vital?
By age 6 or 7, children start to lose their first set of teeth, and you will notice their permanent teeth erupting. Without proper dental care and guidance, children face possible oral decay and disease that can cause a lifetime of pain and complications.
Children who lose primary teeth prematurely are at an increased risk of developing orthodontic problems, speech development complications, and even breathing problems.
Consequences of Poor Dental Hygiene
Around 40% of children in the US aged 2 to 11 suffered from some type of decay.
Dental decay is an infectious disease that is five times more common in children than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. And tooth decay is something you can prevent.
Many factors influence the risk of cavities, such as diet and genetics, but the principal factor is poor oral hygiene. Children need to brush their teeth and wash their mouths twice a day. The use of fluoride is necessary to straighten the tooth’s enamel once they turn 2 years old.
The lack of discipline in this matter leads to tooth and bone loss, tartar build-up, gum disease and infections, bad breath, severe pain, and future malocclusion problems.
Why Should I Choose a Children’s Dentist Near Me?
Most adults leave visiting their dentists at the end of their to-do list, and this is a mistake parents pass on to their kids. The same principle for wanting your child to eat vegetables you don’t like should apply to pediatric dentistry.
A group of researchers compared young patients undergoing dental treatments; those who started their treatments later ended up requiring, on average, nearly four times as many more interventions than those who began treatment at a younger age.
Choosing a dental practice near your home will ease the logistics of taking your child to their checkups. The faster the process is, the better it is for both you and your kid. Avoid long car rides and hours of preparation ahead by visiting pediatric dental health specialists in Katy.
When your doctor is part of your community, a stronger bond builds, which is fantastic if you don’t want your child to have to familiarize themself with a different dentist every year.
Finding pediatric dental specialists in the city of Katy has, as a plus, hundreds of activities for children in the area. Katy is perfect for outdoor plans, which you can use as a reward or just to spend time with your family doing something different.
How Do I Find the Best Kid’s Dentist Near Me?
Finding the best ‘children’s dental in Katy‘ doesn’t need to be a challenge. All you need is a dental practitioner specializing in meeting children’s needs, such as Dr. Chen or Dr. Hunter-Griffith.
You need a dental home that has primary services like dental examinations and professional dental cleanings but also preventative treatment and compromise. The things your child’s dentist offers to them have to reach beyond mere dental care.
Choose Practices That Focus on Prevention
Children are at a critical stage in their lives where their teeth and faces are growing. Establishing good oral health early in the patient’s life is vital to ensure that they don’t develop serious oral health issues later on.
We like helping children develop a deep appreciation for their daily oral hygiene routines through positive reinforcement. Also, try to find treatments that strengthen your child’s teeth and minimize the risk of dental decay. Treatments like dental cleanings and fluoride applications are excellent for these objectives.
Dental sealants are a great option to prevent tooth decay and protect your child’s teeth from an early age. There are special sealants better suited for baby teeth since regular ones last longer than primary teeth.
Find Practices That Will Educate Your Child
Look for practices with a pedagogic approach. The main struggle in dentistry is not the procedures themselves but patient compliance. Quality dental practices will always take the time to speak with you about maintaining good oral hygiene and looking after your child’s teeth in the long run.
For example, Dr. Chen can help your child learn how to brush their teeth effectively and why. She also teaches about the risks of consuming large quantities of sugar, a soft spot in your child’s heart.
Teaching your children to do these things on their own can promote a deeper appreciation for their skills, strengthen their sense of responsibility, and improve their self-esteem.
Choose Dentists Who Offer a Relationship-Based Approach
Children are susceptible to relationships and bonding.
Getting children to go to the dentist and accept treatment is a challenge for many parents. The last thing you want to do is force it, creating a trauma for your child that will discourage them from going to the dentist in the future. What you want is a relationship-based approach where the dentist has an interest in gaining the child’s trust before working on their mouth.
Kids love (and need) external validation from adults. Dentists like Dr. Chen involve your child in the examination by allowing them to participate actively through questions and letting them see the whole process.
This issue is one reason why it is so crucial that your child undergoes their first visit to the dentist while they are young. Bringing them when they are 12 months old, for instance, helps them to view going to the dentist as a regular part of life and not something strange and painful.
Kid’s Healthy Teeth – The Best Pediatric Care in Katy, TX
Our doctors are prepared for your child whether they are babies with only two teeth or in the age of infinite questions of ‘why.’ We have the best preventive dental program around you in Katy.
We gave you the tools to find the best pediatric dentist; now, you are ready to choose and set an appointment!
You might also like to know that we have designed and built our office for kids. Children coming to Kid’s Healthy Teeth can find fun games and things to explore that are usually missing from a general dentist’s office.