The pediatric dentist is a health professional who plays a key role in the care of the mouth of toddlers. Do you know it?
Oral health care from an early age is essential to avoid future complications. And, in this order of ideas, the pediatric dentist is a professional specially trained to preserve the good condition of the mouth of children.
Choosing a dentist who specializes in the care of the little ones has many advantages and in this article we will tell you about them in detail.
What is a Pediatric Dentist?
As we have said, the pediatric dentist is a health professional who is dedicated to the oral care of children. In other words, it has a dental specialization (or specialized master) that focuses on the care and treatment of the mouth of the little ones.
This branch of odontology, in addition to applying knowledge related to prevention and oral care, takes into account the psychological aspect of the child. Indeed, the need to create an emotional bond with the young patient is essential to achieve a better reception of treatments.
In addition, this professional takes into account the importance of parental support in the care of children. Therefore, adult education is also part of care.
In general, the pediatric dentist is the first contact children have with the dental field. Its action on the health of the youngest begins at birth and continues until adolescence.
It is recommended to make the first visit to the pediatric dentist before the child’s first birthday, then to continue with regular visits every 6 or 12 months, depending on the professional’s recommendations.
This diet allows close monitoring of the growth and development of the infant’s jaws and control of dental eruption. In case a problem appears in his mouth, it is detected and treated early.
Who does the pediatric dentist treat?
The main axis of pediatric odontology is prevention: its objective is therefore that children develop healthy habits that promote their oral health from an early age. It seeks that the little ones commit themselves to the care and hygiene of their mouths, that they prefer a balanced and healthy diet and that they manage to have a positive attitude towards visits to the dentist.
The pediatric dentist takes care of the baby from birth and monitors it throughout infancy, childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. As we have already said, in this process, the family has an active role: therefore, the care in the practice includes the children and their guardians.
The task of the pediatric dentist begins, ideally, before the birth of the child, thanks to the counseling of the mother during pregnancy.
Duties of the Pediatric Dentist
We have already mentioned several key aspects of pediatric dental care, such as prevention and oral health care, emotional bonding and connection with the patient. But, below we will tell you in detail about the most important functions of the children’s Columbia pediatric dentistry.
It promotes oral health and prevents the most common diseases of the mouth
Dental caries is one of the most common pathologies of childhood. Its appearance depends, to a large extent, on certain harmful behaviors. For example, inadequate oral hygiene and a diet high in sugar. Similarly, the accumulation of bacteria and food debris in the mouth predisposes children to suffer from gingivitis and bad breath.
In this sense, the pediatric dentist teaches parents the correct practice of oral hygiene and its importance. He will insist at each consultation on the maintenance of a clean mouth and the elimination of dental plaque with oral cleaning from birth, and even with the brushing of teeth, the use of dental floss and fluoridated toothpaste from the moment of birth. Appearance of the first teeth in the mouth.
In addition, the professional advises parents on the diet of their children. Maintaining a varied and nutritious diet, avoiding ultra-processed foods and excess sugar, is essential to maintaining a healthy mouth.
In addition, it makes recommendations on food textures to promote chewing and thus allow the proper development of orofacial structures.
