Just as suggested by the name, a pediatric dentist mainly majors in the childrens dental systems. Just like any other body organs, kids dental composition slightly differs with their adult counterparts. Children have smaller teeth that are in the developmental stage while adults have 32 fully developed teeth. Special care is required for the childrens teeth to ensure that they develop excellently to the final adult teeth developmental stage.
The Focus of Pediatric Dentists
Pediatric dentists have the expertise to exceptionally handle childrens teeth from the time they start growing at infancy, all through the developmental stage to adolescence. Although adolescents may be socially regarded as young adults, their teeth are still in the developmental stage and only need to be cared for by a dentist with such expertise.
The science of pediatric dentistry majors in all the dental developmental stages. Even a new born baby who has not sprouted any teeth can be analyzed by such a dentist in case of any future dental concerns. The dentists also major in dental disease prevention and management among children. Additionally, they also major in child psychology, which helps them relate and communicate adequately with their patients.
Education
The training done on these aspects is usually done in dental school and a pediatric dentist is expected to study for an extra two or three years compared to the regular dentists. This extra study period is crucial in earning a post-doctoral dental specialization in pediatrics. After graduating, they practice their professions depending on their countrys or states healthcare certification laws.
The Importance of a Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric dentists significantly benefit the children, not only in regards to their dental health, but also socially and economically. Adult dental problems are usually traceable to infancy. Curbing such problems during infancy largely helps prevent any future dental problems once an individual is fully developed. Therefore, pediatric dentists can also be credited for the transcendent adult dental health.
One of the main problems regularly tackled by pediatric dentists is tooth decay. This dental problem is common among children especially due to the fact that they are fond of sugary foods. Children with decayed teeth normally have low self esteems, a problem which is easily controlled through pediatric dentists. Due their expertise, children are able to smile and interact freely with their age mates without worrying about tooth decay. Poor dental hygiene and tooth cavity development are other factors that contribute to poor self esteems among children. This negatively affects their school performance and social development. However, with the help of such a dentist, this problem is effectually curbed.
Finally, a pediatric dentist is helpful in maintaining primary teeth especially among infants. These teeth are very helpful in speech development and chewing of food. Proper maintenance by the dentists guarantees excellent primary teeth development until secondary teeth develop.
Charlotte Weislass graduated from journalism 4 years ago and has since been writing for websites and blogs about important issues concerning health. Most recently she has been researching dentistry and learning about how to be a pediatric dentist.