Three Tips On Finding A Good Dentist For Your Child

Choosing a dentist for your child is no small matter. A kids dentist is meant to stay with their patients until they are 18. For that matter, a lot of family dentists continue to hold on to their patients for as long as those patients stay in the area. But there is much more to choosing a good dentist than simply finding someone who works nearby and offers the care that you and your family need. You also need to find a dentist that works well with your family in terms of personality. And indeed, the most important issue to consider is whether or not your potential dentist can offer the kind of specific care that your child may or may not require in the future. While some qualified dentists are capable of offering basic treatments and maintenance, some also provide more advanced work as well.

You can always switch dentists if you don’t like the one you chose after a while. But why not simply choose the dentist that works best for your family outright? Let’s look into some of the factors you can keep in mind when searching for a great kids dentist.

1. Does your pediatric dentist also offer orthodontic treatment?

It’s not required, of course, that all pediatric dentists also provide orthodontic work. In fact, a lot of them don’t, and you may not have one immediately available in your area who offers both. After all, though all orthodontists have trained to be dentists, just 5% of dentists become orthodontists. With that being said, if you have a kids dentist in your area that can provide orthodontic work as well, it might make your life easier. If your child needs orthodontic work, their dentist may very well refer you to a great orthodontist. But you’ll still need to make the effort of going between offices and having records made available to both. With that being said, the ability to keep everything in one location is a major advantage that many patients enjoy. For that matter, it’s nice to have fewer appointments and to simply go to one office rather than multiple offices. You should ask around and see if any of your options offer orthodontic care as well as basic dental care. At Jacaranda Smiles, we are happy to offer both pediatric dental and orthodontic care to families in the Plantation and Pembroke Pines, Florida areas.

2. How Is Their Bedside Manner?

We often associate a good bedside manner more with medical doctors than dentists. However, it’s just as necessary for dentists to have a good bedside manner, especially kids dentists. Children often experience natural anxiety and fear regarding dental work. Even if you start taking your kids to the dentist when they are babies, it may be natural for them to feel a fear of the dentist. Therefore, you need to find one who can easily communicate with children and meet them on their level. It’s important for kids to feel as if they can communicate with and be honest with their dentists. Therefore, you should be as open with your child as possible about what their dentist will be doing, and at the same time communicate with your dentist about what your child fears. It’s impossible to do this without a good bedside manner.

3. What Is Their Approach?

A lot of people struggle with the idea of going to a dentist that is more forward-thinking, offering more modern and progressive approaches to treatments. There are benefits visiting kids dentists who offer more unique and modern treatments, and benefits to going to see dentists who are more traditional. You really need to identify what approach you prefer before making a final decision.

Clearly, there are a lot of benefits to seeing different types of dentists. But no matter what, you should keep your child’s input in mind. If they’re uncomfortable, talk to them about why, and then discuss with their dentist potential solutions to the issue. Make your child a part of the process.