The selection of the appropriate dental provider for your child is a significant decision, and it may affect the comfort, confidence, and future health of the oral cavity of the child. Pediatric dentists and family dentists are useful in the provision of dental care, and consulting a dentist can help you determine which type of care is best suited for your child, although they are different in terms of training, specialisation, setting, and approach towards treating children.
What Is a Pediatric Dentist?
A pediatric dentist is a dental professional who has his/her attention on the mouth of children (infancy-adolescence). Besides receiving a dental degree, pediatric dentists pursue two to three years of special residency training which is specialised in children’s requirements. This is a highly specialised training that involves child psychology, growth and development, behaviour management and special procedures of developing teeth. Pediatric dentists are professionals who make children feel safe and secure when they visit the dentist, making them the best choice in case of a small or frightened patient.
What Is a Family Dentist?
A general dentist or also known as a family dentist checks on patients of all ages i.e. young children, adults and seniors. Family dentists possess the underlying dental education to manage the basic dental care such as cleanings, exams, fillings, and preventive care for the family. They do not go further to take the extra pediatric-specific residency training that pediatric dentists take, but most of them are experienced and comfortable with the combination of children and adults.
Training and Expertise
One of the largest differences between the two is training. Pediatric dentists as well as family dentists graduate from dental school and receive a degree in dentistry. However:
Further training of dental school graduates into pediatric dentists includes child behaviour, dental development stages, dental anatomy of a child under sedation, and developmental concerns.
Family dentists are trained widely in the field of dentistry for all ages but are not necessarily only dealing with the oral health of children. Their education enables them to be able to treat children, but it can be supplemented by specialists in cases of complex children.
Office Physical and Virtual Environment and Experience.
The other difference is the patient experience. Dental facilities that target children are specifically designed to be friendly and appealing to kids. They are usually richly colored, youth-oriented, equipped with small eating utensils, and have some distractions (toys or games) to ensure that the children are easy-going. Pediatric employees are conditioned to deal with the feelings and panic of children.
Family dental offices are professional and caring, but usually they have a wider age range. They might lack the play-based nature, but with most, soft speaking and a smiling demeanor are employed to make children feel free.
Pediatric vs. Family Dental Care Scope.
The preventative services offered by both pediatric and family dentists include cleanings, fluoride therapy, and check-ups. But especially competent are the pediatric dentists.
Family dentists are good at routine lifetime dental services, organisation of adult and older child treatment and handling many children’s common needs. They are also convenient in the sense that the dentist is capable of treating all the family members in a single location.
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