40 Reasons to Take Your Children to a Pediatric Dentist

We all know it is important to have good dental hygiene. We brush our teeth, floss (hopefully!) and visit the dentist. So when children enter the picture, we simply take them to our own dentist –right? While for some, this may be the choice, there are many reasons to take your children to a pediatric dentist instead.



1. The chairs at a pediatric dentist office are sized to suit kids, which make it less intimidating to sit in.
2. A pediatric dentist has experience dealing with children with all sorts of anxiety issues.
3. A pediatric dentist has experience treating children with special needs.
4. An established dental home early leads to a relationship between child, parent, and dentist making questions or concerns easy for parents to find answers too.
5. A fun environment leads to stress free visits for both the child and parent.
6. Pediatric dentist offices have special pieces to add to the chairs to make them safe for infants/toddlers.
7. Their offices typically have a kid-friendly décor, such as super heroes, animals, the beach, etc.
8. They are able to catch dental problems at a young age, and hopefully stop decay before it happens.
9. Because they always have a prize box, and every child gets a prize.
10. There are toys, videos, gaming systems, etc. in the waiting area, which makes it possible to keep kids from getting antsy while waiting for their appointment.
11. The child-friendly waiting area also makes it easier to keep other siblings entertained while waiting for the family member seeing the dentist.
12. They have fun flavored fluoride.
13. They have more flavors of toothpaste, so there is certain to be one your child likes.
14. Their assistants usually enjoy kids — otherwise, they are in the wrong dental office!
15. Their dental instruments are child-sized, so they are less intimidating.
16. Kids learn early on, the value of good dental health.
17. Because they use more kid-friendly terminology for procedures such as crowns, shots, etc.
18. Many of them have done training rotations at pediatric hospitals and know about kid-specific issues such as anesthesia and behavior guidance.
19. They know how to handle kids crying or being stressed out.
20. They have a greater emphasis on preventive actions over repair.
21. They have a whole-household approach and will educate parents about the value of not just good dental hygiene but also about healthy eating/drinking habits; a family’s lifestyle can significantly affect children’s dental health.
22. They have a myriad of suggestions such as teaching kids to sing the A-B-C song while brushing to ensure they brush long enough, for encouraging healthy dental care.
23. Parents are typically encouraged, or at least, welcomed to come back during the examination.
24. Pediatric dentist have two additional years of a residency after dental school, so they are more qualified to meet your child’s needs.
25. They often use a “Tell, show, do” approach where they name the instrument and demonstrate its use before using it on your child’s teeth.
26. They might use modeling techniques where a timid child is paired with a more cooperative child of a similar age.
27. They know how to use the pitch and tone of their voice to help keep the kids calm.
28. They have multiple options for sedation.
29. They have flavored nosepieces to breathe through in the event of needing to administer nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
30. Your kids can see the same dentist from birth until their teen years.
31. Earlier detection of serious problems, so treatment and preventative measures can begin earlier.
32. They are specialists, who are focused on your child’s particular dental needs.
33. They will tell you about what will happen next in your child’s oral development.
34. While older children may be uncertain about going to the dentist, babies typically do wonderful if brought to a pediatric dentist.
35. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to handle problems particular to children, such as dental developmental difficulties.
36. They can provide you with instructional booklets and material written with children’s dental care in mind.
37. Pediatric dentists are happy to answer any questions along the way and ensure your child understands what’s happening during their procedure.
38. As many as 75% of all adults experience some degree of dental fear; 5-10% suffer from a more extreme version known as dental phobia, a fear so strong that they avoid dental care at all costs. Early childhood visits to an office specializing in pediatric dentistry dramatically decreases this fear later in life by establishing a positive and enjoyable dental experience from the start.
39. You wouldn’t take your child to an internal medicine doctor for a checkup, so why would you take them to a general dentist instead of a pediatric dentist?
40. Children who see a pediatric dentist enjoy the visit. In fact, oftentimes, they don’t want to leave.

Bringing your child to see a pediatric dentist will go a long way toward establishing, early on, good dental habits and can minimize (if not eliminate) the fear of going to the dentist. In addition, you will have the peace of mind in knowing that any potential problems will be acknowledged earlier and will know what steps will be taken to either prevent or correct them. We look forward to seeing your child smile and will do everything we can to help them always have a great looking smile. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.