It can seem a little confusing when you first start looking for a Waterloo pediatric dental clinic. You may have several questions about the difference in a general dentist and a pediatric dentist. It should be reaffirming to know that pediatric dentists undergo more training than someone who practices general dentistry, and they are specifically trained to perform dental procedures on children and provide them with preventative treatment options for their specific oral needs. A Waterloo pediatric dental professional focuses on preventing children’s oral health problems. Here are a few of the specialties pediatric dentists may offer.
Dental Health Education for Families
A Waterloo pediatric dental professional works with children, which means they focus on keeping their baby teeth healthy and treating their new, permanent teeth when they come in. For this reason, they will emphasize oral health education. Not only will they spend time educating their young patients, but they may also educate parents on proper oral care and how to maintain a healthy mouth for their child. The goal of a pediatric dentist is to help them establish healthy habits the children can follow throughout their lives so they provide educational resources to help accomplish this.
Preventive Treatment and Early Diagnoses
Children’s teeth can be difficult to clean which makes them prone to developing tooth decay. Waterloo pediatric dental professionals provide basic preventive dental services like teeth cleaning. They will often administer preventive treatments such as sealants or fluoride treatments to help prevent tooth decay. Many times, they can diagnose future dental problems that a patient is particularly at risk for developing. They will also perform other diagnostic examinations such as taking x-rays to identify areas that might be a problem later so it can be prevented.
Pediatric Specific Treatment Options
A pediatric dentist in Waterloo provides treatment options that are designed specifically to ensure the children have healthy teeth. Fluoride treatments are effective at preventing and possibly reversing tooth decay in children. It also makes teeth stronger and helps prevent cavities. Pediatric dentists also provide space maintenance for children. When baby teeth come in too early, they may need a spacer maintainer to help keep spaces open so permanent teeth come in properly. And orthodontics can help correct dental conditions early. Orthodontics help straighten crooked teeth, jaw problems, overbites and improve spacing between teeth. Orthodontic treatments might include braces, brackets, Invisalign, retainers, or pulling teeth.
Surgery and Treating Traumatic Injuries
When children suffer traumatic injuries that affect their teeth, Waterloo pediatric dentist professionals can perform dental surgery or other treatments to help lessen the effect of the injury. Other procedures might include repairing teeth, jaws, gums, face or palate in children, removing wisdom teeth, treating cleft lip or palate, treating various diseases of the mouth, jaw, teeth or gums. Surgical or nonsurgical
Pediatric dentists develop treatment options customized to the needs of their pediatric patients. The goal is to minimize dental problems, reduce dental diseases and maintain good oral health habits in children.
