As a parent, you put your child’s well-being as a top priority. For health conscious parents, finding a dental home for your child should be at the top of your to-do list for 2015. A dental home can set the right stage for a lifetime of oral health and strong teeth for your child.
What is a Dental Home?
It is a place where all aspects of oral health are discussed in depth, educating parents on issues impacting your children’s teeth. Pediatric dentists specialize in providing a dental home for infants, toddlers and children. They are the best at delivering comprehensive, continuous, family-oriented care for your children’s teeth. Pediatric dentists are like pediatricians of dentistry. They are family dentists for children. Having a dental home is the important first step in making sure your kid’s teeth stay cavity-free and is highly recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
What is the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is the most reliable source of information for pediatric dentists in North America, and they are known as “the Big Authority on Little Teeth”. Read the AAPD’s policy on dental home.
What Will a Dental Home Do?
Comprehensive Oral Health Care: Your pediatric dentist will do a comprehensive exam for oral diseases and conditions for your child. As a parent, you are bombarded with different opinions and information. When is the best time to stop breastfeeding? When should they stop sucking their thumb? My kid grinds his teeth at night, is it normal? We have the answers.
Diet Counselling: Healthy diet means healthy teeth. We make personalized recommendations for your child.
Cavity Prevention: Prevention of cavities is better than fixing cavities. Every 6 months, regular check-ups and cleaning will be done. Your pediatric dentist will give you advice on how to keep baby teeth cavity free.
Anticipatory Guidance: We check and see if growth and development of teeth and facial feature are normal. For instance, we can see if your child’s thumb sucking habit is changing the shape of facial bone.
Emergency: If your child has a dental emergency, you might not know where to go. If you have a dental home and existing relationship with a pediatric dentist, the dental emergency will be a lot less traumatic event for your child.
Child-Friendly Environment: Pediatric dental offices have TVs and toys to keep your child happy. Most importantly, pediatric dental team loves working with children and will use child friendly language to make sure kids fell safe and comfortable.
When should I Find a Dental Home for My Child?
The ideal time to find a dental home is by age 1. Ask your pediatrician or community nurse for recommendations for pediatric dentist in your area. Check out this Chicago mom’s story about dental home.
Dr. Ella Choi is a certified specialist in pediatric dentistry serving South Surrey, White Rock, Langley and Aldergrove in Beautiful British Columbia.