What is Pediatric Dentistry? It is the specialty of dentistry dealing with the oral health of children.
More specifically and officially, it deals with both the primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care of children from birth to age 21 including those with special health care needs such as Cerebral Palsy or Down Syndrome. It is the only specialty in dentistry that is age defined, not procedure defined. It is one of the recognized specialties of dentistry. Our national organization is the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
There are many areas of prevention and care that are unique to children which a pediatric dentist is specifically trained to recognize, treat and prevent. That is why many parents wisely choose a pediatric dentist for their child’s dental needs, just as they choose a pediatrician for their medical needs.. Originally, Pediatric Dentists were called “Pedodontists” and they practiced “Pedodontics”. Some people got confused with the name and would, from time to time think they were foot doctors! So, they changed the official name so there is no confusion.
A pediatric dentist has two to three additional years of training beyond undergraduate and dental education. These extra years are dedicated to learning about the growth, development and dental needs that are specific to infants, children, adolescents, and those with special healthcare needs.
Since we provide comprehensive care that means we do a little bit of everything. When a child or teen comes into our office, we will often clean the teeth, take diagnostic x-rays, apply preventive fluoride treatments and give oral hygiene instructions. If we find a problem, we will restore a tooth with a filling or a crown. If the need is there, we may have to remove a tooth or do some other kind of oral surgery.
Here is a link to our Albuquerque dentist office web site for more info: Sandia Pediatric Dentistry
Here are some answers to some common questions from the American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry: AAPD Frequently Asked Questions
