A pediatric dentist is, as the name implies, a dentist specifically trained to handle the teeth of children. Rather than treat the teeth of full grown adults, a pediatric dentist treats teeth that has not fully developed yet. This is a very important factor in keeping your child’s teeth healthy as they grow. But when do you start taking your child for visits to the pediatric dentist, and for that matter, when should you stop? If you just had a child, and need to figure out when to take them to your local pediatric dentist in Summerville, SC, and when you should start seeking out a new dentist, here is a guide to both.
When to start
Many folks don’t take their children to their first dentist visit when they should. The general age of their first dental visit is around 2-3 years of age. However, the time to start your child’s first dentist visit should be much sooner than that. The real point to take your child to the dentist is actually around 6 months, 1 year old at latest. With regular dentist check-ups following afterward. You want to keep your baby’s primary teeth healthy and stable until they come out naturally, otherwise that will just lead to more, worse health problems down the line. Even if they haven’t grown in all their teeth yet, 6 months of age is when you need to take them to the dentist. Your dentist needs to be able to examine your child’s teeth and their overall health from this early stage.
When to stop
So, when to start has been fully covered, but what about knowing when to stop? When is a good time to stop taking your child to the pediatric dentist, and start them on an official dental professional? You may think the best time is when all their primary teeth have fallen out, and their grown-up teeth have completely grown in, but that isn’t the case.
It may vary from child to child, but even when their primary teeth have fallen out, their mouth has not finished developing. Until that happens, it’s best to keep your child seeing the same dentist that’s been caring for them since they were babies. The best time is actually around their late teens, as their mouth is close to completing its development, and a general dentist will be more helpful going forward.
A pediatric dentist is an important part of your child’s healthy development. They can keep the best track of your child’s health throughout their life, and are best equipped to handle what a child goes through in terms of dental health. As long as you start as early as possible and keep them on until they deem it okay to transfer, your child is in for a very healthy mouth.