How To Choose a Pediatric Dentist for Your Kids

It’s important that you know how to choose a pediatric dentist for your kids. This is not only to ensure that they receive quality dental care but also to ensure you find a dentist that knows how to make kids comfortable and feel more at ease. Here’s what you should be looking for when considering pediatric dentists.

Pediatric vs. Family Dentists

While a family dentist may seem like the perfect choice—and very well could be, depending on the dentist—there are key differences between family dentists and pediatric dentists that you should take into consideration. For instance, family dentists offer general dentistry services and serve patients of all ages rather than specializing in kids—which does offer the opportunity for you and your child to see the same dentist.

Pediatric dentists, on the other hand, specialize in dentistry for children and have extra education to show for it. More familiar with the oral development of kids, pediatric dentists will be able to better monitor and correct issues that arise as your child grows. Their tools and office also better reflect the emphasis on children and thus are much better for setting anxious kids at ease.

Researching Dentists

So how do you best go about researching pediatric dentists? Well, it’s not feasible to physically visit every pediatric dentist within your area, but luckily, most dental practices can be found online for you to look through and ask questions. Some of the relevant information you should look for includes:

• Location – How far is the dentist from you? Longer trips are often detrimental because they give children time to make themselves anxious with anticipation.
• Hours – To determine when you can make appointments within your family’s schedule.
• Insurance – Whether or not the dentist takes your insurance to lessen the financial burden.
• Biography – This will give you a basic introduction to the pediatric dentist and their team, serving as a good first impression of what you can expect.

See Also: Children Preventive Dentistry 

Qualifications To Look For

Perhaps the most important part of learning how to choose a pediatric dentist for your kids is knowing what qualifications you should look for. As we mentioned, pediatric dentistry requires an extra two years of education in order to achieve the specialization, and their certification should be readily displayed. Next, inquire about their past experiences to see how long they’ve been in the business and how well they treat their patients.

If you need a pediatric dentist in Richmond, Texas, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to answer any of your questions and tell you why we’re the right choice for your child.