There are several tips you can use to find a great kids dentist near you. Asking friends and family for recommendations is one great way, as well as booking an appointment to meet the staff and see if you like their style and the way they treat your kids.

Best kids dentistry – Dentistry for kids

There are some key things to know about finding the best kids’ dentistry clinic near you. Let’s look at seven of them.

1. The first thing to use to get started is to ask your friends and family for who they would recommend as a pediatric dentist.

2. You can also research the qualifications that the pediatric dentists around you have. They should have a pediatric dentistry specialty on top of their doctor of dental science degree.

3. Most websites will have patient testimonials, or search engines will have reviews about pediatric dental clinics so you can read what other satisfied clients have to say about the office.

4. You should check out the office and see how clean they keep the office and waiting area, how the staff treat you, and are they able to answer your questions about the recommended dental treatment for your child.

5. The office culture should also make you and your child feel at ease with things like toys or soft comfy chairs. They may even have a room that you can use to help your child relax in a calming space.

6. A great pediatric dental office is one that is near you. Whether you live in South Miami, Coral Gables, or other parts of the Miami area, you can find a great pediatric dentist close by. A nearby dental office is important because you don’t want your child to have a stressful ride to the clinic, and you don’t want to feel like you have to rush to your appointments.

7. Take a look around the office for plaques of awards your pediatric dentist has received or other certifications they have. This is a sign of the quality of work they do and also what kind of continuing education they pursue. That can translate to innovative treatment options for your child and someone who will constantly strive to learn when it comes to dental health.

Now that you know a few things about how to find best kids dentistry in Miami FL, stay tuned!  We have more interesting information about pediatric dental care to share, but first let’s take a look at what some of the experts of pediatric dentistry have to say.

First, the field of pediatric dentistry does preventative as well as restorative care for children ranging in age from infants up through their teen years (Shah S, 2017).

Good oral health is a key part of your child’s overall health, and having bad oral health can actually reduce your child’s quality of life and even affect their development (Shah S, 2017).

Pediatric dentistry needs to be an ongoing component of their lives, and it needs to be both accessible and cost-effective. Treatment options should be customized to meet the needs of the patient – and their family (Shah S, 2017).

What are some of the best pediatric dental care services? Best kids’ dentistry

The best services you can get from a pediatric dentist are preventative care services that will help your child have healthy teeth. One of the best things they can do is clean your child’s teeth and give you and your child tips on how to maintain their oral hygiene at home by learning how to brush and floss their teeth. Clean teeth keep tartar from forming and that can prevent any bacterial growth on the gums that can lead to gingivitis if left untreated.

Your child might have some dental cavities that need to be filled, but regular visits to the dentist can catch these as soon as they can be so the fillings are small and the cavities don’t have a chance to spread and cause more decay. Even if your child has a cavity in a milk tooth, getting the cavity filled will help protect the tooth until it is ready to come out, and that will in turn help protect the adult teeth.

If it has been a while since your child has seen a dentist and they need some significant dental care like crowns, root canals, or even extractions, your pediatric dentist South Miami can also take care of these treatments.

There are some other things you may have questions for your pediatric dentist about like how to help your child stop sucking their thumb, or you might be concerned that your child may need braces. Your dentist will be happy to go over these with you and provide an expert opinion on next steps.

Is laser dental treatment safe? Best dentistry for kids

Laser treatment is a new technology used for dental care that helps destroy many oral bacteria and can also be used to shape the gums. The laser is targeted so only the area your dentist wants to treat gets the treatment. It is also a way to do some oral surgeries with less bleeding and faster healing times.

The laser is safe when used by a skilled dentist. It’s even used to help speed up teeth whitening procedures.  Please note that if a tooth has a filling, a laser cannot be used on it and it can’t help with damaged crowns or bridges.

Why do children hate the dentist? Best kid’s dentistry

Kids might not actually hate the dentist, but they certainly can be quite fearful of the dentist and that can make it harder to get the dental care they need. But, a pediatric dentist can be the best way for a child to overcome their fears, because he or she is trained in working with kids and they know all kinds of ways to help reduce that fear.

A lot of kids may have seen cartoons or heard stories about how much dental care can hurt, and that triggers their fear. Or they may feel vulnerable lying on their back while their teeth are being cleaned, or the noise of the tools is frightening. The lead apron used during X-rays might feel like it is smothering to them because it is heavy. The sterile environment of a dental office might make them fearful. Maybe they have social anxiety so sitting in a busy waiting room with other people can trigger their anxiety. Perhaps it is missing school that causes them stress, because they are missing something important or they can’t spend time with their friends in home room.

Whatever the reason, you need a pediatric dentist who can work through any of these issues and help your child feel at ease. For these reasons, parents of special needs children will often visit a pediatric dentist because of the extra care and thoughtfulness taken to communicate in ways that are not scary.

Do dentists recommend electric toothbrushes for children?

Actually, an electric toothbrush might be just the right thing for a child who struggles to effectively use a manual brush. They even come in child sizes, perfect for those little mouths.  And some kids’ versions come in cool characters, so you are sure to find one they love. It’s even recommended by the American Dental Association as being equally effective as a manual toothbrush.

Reference:

Shah S. (2017). Pediatric dentistry- novel evolvement. Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 25, 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2017.12.005