Pediatric dentistry is a specialty of dentistry focused on the special dental needs of kids and teens. A pediatric dentist is someone who can help your child get started with a healthy smile for life.
Pediatric dentist near me -pediatric dentist orthodontist near me
If you’re looking for a great pediatric dentist near me in Miami FL or a Miami FL pediatric dentist in Miami and the surrounding area, then dental care is definitely on your mind. You also likely have a whole host of questions when it comes to things like finding a dentist in Coral Gables for infants, children, and teen dental care; getting care for people born and raised in Florida; pediatric dental medicine; dental health, and what to look for in a doctor of dental medicine. You may wonder what can a pediatric dentist do, and how can you find a Coconut Grove dental office in south Miami? Do I need to find someone in general dentistry or should they have pediatric credentialing from the University of Florida? Can I book my appointment online or do I have to call in person?
The fact of the matter is that your questions are likely to be as varied as you are and while some of these questions have more universal answers, other ones are far more subjective. Before we get into some of the most important questions, let’s take a look at what the experts of pediatric dental medicine have to say on the topic of pediatric dentist near me.
Choosing a pediatric dentist is a crucial decision for parents (Mourad, MS et al.,2020).
There are many reasons parents decide to choose a pediatric dentist including previous negative experience with general dentists (Mourad, MS et al.,2020).
In general, parents chose a pediatric dentist based on the dentist’s qualifications and recommendations from social contacts and family or friends (Mourad, MS et al.,2020).
How do you choose the correct pediatric dentist for your family and kids? Dentist pediatric near me
The correct pediatric dentist can mean a wide variety of things to different people. Is the correct place someplace that has excellent emergency services? Is it close by geographically? Is it a place that can serve both adults and children or is it a child only office? The fact of the matter is that the correct pediatric dentist or orthodontic office is going to need to meet a wide variety of standards that only you know.
For some individuals pricing will be the most important factor and they are willing to drive a little bit further to get pricing that they like. For another individual it could be the flexibility of the office, perhaps they offer services on the weekend so you can get care for you and your child without taking time off work or school. In the end, ultimately it comes down to finding a place whose priorities match your priorities and with so many excellent offices in the greater Miami area, it will not take long for you to find an office that you and your family will love.
How do I find a family pediatric dentist near me? Best pediatric dentist near me
Finding your local office is not overly difficult. A simple internet search will immediately reveal many offices within your area but you really want to find a pediatric dental office which means you should be searching for that particularly. The most important ways of locating a good office include to simply check the online reviews. Checking online reviews can let you know quite a bit about the office, how people feel about it, allow you to look at their website, their availability, their track record, how people like or dislike them, the services they offer, and of course examine a page on their credentialing as well so you can find out how skilled these individuals are and if this is the office that you want for you and your little one.
The internet is a wealth of resources readily available to you and so taking a quick look online is by far the easiest way for you to at least get an idea of offices that you would like to take a closer look at.
Why should we visit pediatric dentistry? What are its benefits?
The benefits are innumerable. The fact of the matter is that pediatric dentistry is extremely important for a whole variety of reasons. By far the most important reason is the health and well-being of your child. Children’s dental concerns can oftentimes be slightly different than adults. Children’s teeth are also often subjected to different kinds of wear and stresses compared to adult teeth. Children are more likely to grind their teeth, more likely to be developing or using bad oral health care habits, or have bad habits that will affect their long-term jaw and tooth development.
These include things like thumb sucking. If left too long this can create a bite issue which later in life will cause serious orthodontic issues. By meeting with your pediatric dental office early, you can stave off many of these issues before they become problems at all. Finding out what your child needs, what problems might be on the horizon, and what you can do to mitigate them will not only mean that your child will have better oral health outcomes in the long term but they will also be more comfortable, happier, and their care will be cheaper than if these issues were left to fester.
What are 8 things to look for when choosing a pediatric dentist near you? Pediatric dentist and orthodontist near me
In closing then, what are the other eight things that you need to know when it comes to choosing a great pediatric dentist? Let’s take a look at them one by one.
Office: The office should be a warm and welcoming environment full of clean toys and books and magazines for a variety of children and adult levels to ensure everyone’s comfort while waiting.
Staff: Staff should be friendly, understanding, and accommodating. Working with children is never an exact science neither for your dentist nor for you and so having an office that is willing to work with your child and around your busy schedule is an important consideration.
Reviews: As mentioned before, it’s important to make sure that you take a look at the reviews the office has received. Finding out what people liked or didn’t like will help you to have a more informed choice about whether this is the office for you.
Distance: Make sure the office you find is a distance you are willing to travel. Finding a great office can be an amazing thing but if you have to drive an hour through Miami traffic to get there, it may be a bit too far. Find an office that is an appropriate distance that you are willing to make trips to regularly as this will increase your ability to meet and make your appointments.
Price: Obviously it’s important to make sure that the pricing for your office is in line with what you can afford. Some offices may charge higher rates than another and so taking a look at their pricing model will give you a good idea of whether this is the type of office for you and your family.
Payment methods: In conjunction with taking a look at the pricing, take a look at the payment methods that they accept. It may be that one dentist charges slightly more but it is one that takes your insurance and so could still make it an excellent choice for you while a cheaper dentist may not take your insurance meaning that you would pay more out of pocket. Doing these kinds of price comparisons and seeing if they offer a payment plan directly from the office can be a great way of reducing your costs.
Services: Obviously one of the most important things is that the office can actually do the kind of service that you need. A dental office for kids will be able to do some procedures that other general dentists are not. This is why it’s important that you take a look at the website for the services that they offer and make sure that the services that you and your children need are some of those that are listed.
Free consultation: When in doubt, check and see if the office has a free consultation. Many expert level offices will offer these kinds of consultations allowing you the freedom to meet with and talk with certified dental doctors and get their opinion on your treatment needs, payment plans, and any other question you may have when it comes to the health of you and your little one.
Reference:
Mourad, M. S., Brendebach, J., Alkilzy, M., & Splieth, C. H. (2020). Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents’ decision. European journal of paediatric dentistry, 21(1), 74–79. https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.01.15