Blog Summary:
Are you wondering what a pedodontist is and how they differ from other dentists?
This blog post breaks down everything you need to know about these specialized dental professionals who focus on children’s oral health. We’ll explore the unique training that sets them apart from general and family dentists, the benefits of choosing a pedodontist for your child, and the range of services they offer, from preventive care to treating dental injuries.
Discover why a pedodontist might be the perfect choice for your family and how they can help your child develop a positive relationship with dental care.
Break down the word “pedodontist” and you get “pedo”, closely related to “pedia”, which refers to a child or children, and “dontist”, which refers to someone who studies teeth. “Wait a minute!”, you might be thinking. Is a pedodontist the same as a pediatric dentist? In a word, yes.
You can think of the term pedodontist as a more “official” way to refer to a pediatric dentist. Most people, however (even pedodontists themselves) more commonly refer to this type of profession as pediatric dentists, probably because it’s just a little bit simpler to understand and a little less tongue-twisting!
With that out of the way, here’s some more information about pedodontists, or children’s dentists.
What is a Children’s Dentist Called?
What is a teeth doctor called? A dentist. But what about a children’s dentist? Simply put, pedodontists, pediatric dentists, and children’s dentists are all just titles for the same profession.
So, what exactly does a pedodontist do? That’s a simple question with a complex answer! Before we get into the nuances, you should know that pediatric dentists are just one type of dentist, alongside which there are also:
- General Dentists
- Family Dentists
- Orthodontists
As we covered in our blog post “Choosing a Dentist: Pediatric Dentist vs Family vs General”,
“All dentists are highly trained, skilled medical professionals. On top of an undergraduate degree, dentists must attend dental school, which usually lasts four years, and results in a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. Dentists must then be licensed and often, undergo a 2-3 year residency program.”
In other words, general dentists are highly-trained professionals who can often treat children, teens, and adults. However, some general dentists only specialize in treating adults.
Family dentists specialize in treating members of the whole family, ranging from children to adults.
Pediatric dentists, or pedodontists, on the other hand, receive unique training and education in treating issues that are specific to children and teens.
What Exactly Does a Pedodontist Do?
As healthychildren.org explains, pediatric dentists provide a number of services. Here are some of the things they commonly do for patients:
- Examine your infant’s oral health and assess the risk of cavities.
- Provide preventive dental care, including cleaning and fluoride treatments, along with nutrition and diet recommendations.
- Counsel on habits such as pacifier use and thumb sucking.
- Repair tooth cavities or defects.
- Diagnose oral conditions associated with diseases such as diabetes, congenital heart defects, asthma, hay fever, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Manage gum diseases and conditions including ulcers, short frenulae, mucoceles, and pediatric periodontal disease.
- Treat dental injuries (for example, fractured, displaced, or knocked-out teeth).
- Assess and treat early for straightening teeth and correcting an improper bite (orthodontics).
Why See a Pedodontist vs. a General or Family Dentist?
While general dentists and family dentists can both treat children, pedodontists, or pediatric dentists, are really good at treating children, because it’s their unique area of focus.
Think of it this way. Say you drive a fancy German luxury car that needs mechanical attention. You could take it to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs, and that repair shop would be trained to diagnose and fix your car, along with a number of other cars on the road.
But what if you instead, took it to a shop that specialized in German imports? The likelihood of that shop knowing what is wrong with your car right away is much higher because chances are that the shop likely deals with cars like yours frequently, along with other German brands.
But if you took your car to a service shop that specializes only in your brand of vehicle, such as an OEM dealer service center or independent shop specializing in only your car’s brand, the chances of that shop being able to diagnose and fix your vehicle quickly and adeptly goes up even more.
In this scenario, the regular mechanic is like a general dentist, the shop specializing in German imports is like a family dentist, and the shop specializing in only your car’s brand is like a pediatric dentist.
Pediatric Dentists Are Experts in Supporting & Educating Young Patients
But there’s more. Pediatric dentists don’t just have more specialized hands-on experience treating dental issues.
- Pedodontists often receive training that makes them better able to make kids of all ages and abilities, including those with special needs, feel safe, supported, and at ease.
- Pedodontists also are masters at explaining issues to kids in ways that are clear, understandable, and age-appropriate.
- Pedodontists may also have access to instruments and tools that general dentists don’t.
What’s more, many pedodontists do specialize in treating children, but also frequently treat adults or teens, making them convenient options for parents seeking specialized care for their little ones and convenient care for the whole family. These types of pedodontists usually refer to themselves as “children and family dentists”.
Rely on The Super Dentists for Expert Pediatric Dental Care
Whether your infant requires an initial dentist’s visit, your kid chipped a tooth, or you’re looking to have braces put on your teen, The Super Dentists can help.
Our tooth-loving crew has the training and experience required to make light work of all dental and orthodontic care for teens, adults, and families in the greater San Diego region. Have any questions? We invite you to get in touch or book an appointment online now.
