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Frequently Asked Questions about Children Dentistry

What age should a child’s first dental visit be? This is a question that many parents have. It may also depend on the type of insurance they have as well as their location. Children typically need to see a dentist by their first birthday, but it can happen sooner if there are concerns about cavities or other issues with teeth. It’s essential for children to get accustomed to visiting the dentist early, so they don’t develop any fears later in life.

Visit Victory Plaza Dental Group for more information about what you need to know before your child visits our office

What is pediatric dentistry?

Pediatric dentistry is the branch of dentistry that deals specifically with children. A pediatric dentist provides optimal oral health care to children from infancy through adolescence, including those with special healthcare needs. Victory Plaza Dental Group is one of the best kids dentists in North Hollywood.

What are pediatric dental benefits?

Pediatric dental benefits vary from one insurance plan to another and may include a pediatric dentist providing free or reduced-cost pediatric dentistry to children covered by the plan.

What are pediatric dental statistics?

Here are just a few pediatric dental statistics:
By age 2, half of all primary teeth have already emerged through the gums – Source: American Dental Association (ADA)
Nearly one in three children have had tooth decay before they reach the age of 6 – Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Caries are 100 times more prevalent than asthma, making it the most common pediatric disease. – Source: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).

What pediatric conditions need pediatric dental care?

Pediatric dentistry includes providing comprehensive pediatric dental services to patients with or without pediatric dental insurance coverage. Although pediatric dentists primarily focus on children, they may treat special needs adults as well. Furthermore, pediatric dentists provide oral health care to medically compromised children and disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome.

Who needs pediatric dental care?

That is a question parents often ask pediatric dentists, but a pediatric dentist in North Hollywood may respond with another question: “Whom do you consider to be pediatric?” The pediatric dentist realizes that parents play an essential role in their children’s health care and may include them in certain pediatric oral health care phases.

What pediatric dental issues need pediatric dentistry?

Pediatric dentists focus on both the medical and surgical treatment of pediatric dental conditions, including tooth decay; gum disease; pediatric sleep apnea; pediatric jaw anomalies, such as an overbite (overjet); pediatric emergencies like a knocked-out permanent tooth; traumatic injuries to the mouth and face; pediatric oral care for special needs children, particularly those who have disabilities like autism or cerebral palsy; pediatric dental care for medically compromised or high-risk infants and children.

What pediatric toothpaste should children use?

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that parents use a small, pea-sized amount of pediatric toothpaste when they brush their children’s teeth under the supervision of a pediatric dentist or pediatric dental hygienist. A pediatric dentist in North Hollywood would recommend pediatric toothpaste with fluoride to strengthen the child’s developing adult teeth and is part of an overall daily oral routine, including brushing, flossing, and rinsing with water.

What are pediatric dentistry issues?

A pediatric dentist provides the necessary pediatric dental services for infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric dentists also refer parents to pediatric specialists who offer surgical procedures to pediatric tooth decay, pediatric jaw disorders, and pediatric oral care for special needs children.

Why do kids need pediatric dental care?

Most of all, because it’s healthier than not receiving pediatric dentistry, pediatric dentists also offer this service to help build a positive attitude about oral health that will last a lifetime.

Who can be a pediatric dentist?

In addition to pediatric dental school education and pediatric dental licensing requirements, a pediatric dentist in North Hollywood needs to complete a pediatric training program at their pediatric dental residency after graduation from dental school. Pediatric dentists receive pediatric dental specialty training to provide this comprehensive pediatric dental care.

Why should children see pediatric dentists?

Every child needs pediatric dental care because, just like the primary pediatrician who provides medical care for colds, asthma, or allergies, pediatric dentists only treat children and only perform pediatric services, including general anesthesia when necessary.

What pediatric dental issues need pediatric care?

Pediatric dentists provide general pediatric care, including localized painful conditions and pediatric emergencies that require pediatric treatment in the hospital.

Is pediatric dentistry expensive?

While pediatric dental services vary in cost from office to office and insurance plans vary in coverage, most pediatric dentists offer a discount for uninsured children. Parents should contact pediatric dentists for pediatric fees and insurance coverage before treatment begins.

What pediatric dental issues do pediatricians treat?

Pediatricians provide medical care to children, but they refer pediatric dental problems to pediatric dentists because pediatric dentists are licensed by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to provide pediatric dental services.

Why is pediatric dentistry important to a child’s general health?

Because pediatricians treat pediatric dental problems that can affect a child’s quality of life, including tooth decay; gum disease; pediatric sleep apnea; pediatric jaw anomalies, such as an overbite (underbite); pediatric oral care for special needs children, such as cerebral palsy and pediatric dental treatment for medically compromised or high-risk infants.

Who has more pediatric dental issues: boys or girls?Boys and girls have the same likelihood of pediatric dental problems. However, pediatric dentists treat pediatric dental issues such as pediatric tooth decay, pediatric gum disease, and pediatric jaw anomalies, such as an underbite.

Is pediatric dentistry a good career choice?

Yes, because pediatric dentists provide quality pediatric care to improve pediatric oral health and well-being.

What is the best age to start taking children to the dentist?

An infant’s pediatrician typically makes a first pediatric dental examination between 1 and 2 years, but a pediatric dentist can provide pediatric recommendations after the first pediatric exam.

What is the age limit for pediatric dentistry?

Pediatric dentists care for children from birth to young adulthood, including providing pediatric oral health care for special needs children who require pediatric dental treatment.

Are pediatric dentists pediatric surgeons?

Some pediatric dentists have pediatric surgery training, but most are pediatric primary care providers. Some pediatric dentists specialize in pediatric surgical procedures, such as sleep apnea surgery, wisdom teeth removal, and pediatric dental implants.

What is the future of children’s dentistry?

Pediatric dentists continue to provide pediatric oral health care for future generations of children, including pediatric preventive dental care from an early age and pediatric restorative services for children with pediatric tooth loss.

Children’s dentistry has been a growing field in recent years because pediatricians have decreased the provision of pediatric general pediatric services. In addition, more pediatricians are referring children with pediatric dental problems to pediatric dentists.

Who is the pediatric dentist with the most experience?

A pediatric dentist’s level of experience may depend on their training, licensure, and professional activities.
Some pediatric dentists have completed extensive specialized training in university programs, including pediatric rotations in private pediatric practices, neonatal intensive care units, and pediatric hospitals.

In addition, a pediatric dentist in North Hollywood must be licensed by the Board of Dentistry to practice pediatric dentistry in a particular state. Finally, pediatric dentists may participate in continuing education programs to stay current on pediatric dental issues.

What pediatric dental training do pediatric dentists receive?

Pediatric dentists must complete four rigorous years of undergraduate education at a university and four rigorous years in pediatric dentistry residency training programs.

What types of pediatric dental treatment do pediatric dentists perform?

This depends on pediatric training, licensure, and professional activities.
For example, pediatric dental care may include:
Pediatric oral health care for children with pediatric tooth decay.
Pediatric gum disease.
Pediatric jaw anomalies.
Pediatric restorative services such as fillings or pediatric crowns.
Pediatric tooth whitening to improve pediatric dental aesthetics.
Pediatric orthodontics to move pediatric teeth into the dental arches to improve pediatric dental function and pediatric dentures.

Do pediatric dentists accept Medicaid?

Yes, pediatric dentists constantly accept new patients who have Medicaid or private insurance coverage for pediatric oral health care.

What pediatric training do pediatric assistants receive?

Pediatric assistants typically receive pediatric assistant training and pediatric dental office assistant training in pediatric dentistry offices.

Can pediatric assistants perform pediatric dental procedures?
No, pediatric assistants cannot provide pediatric dental care; only pediatric dentists can do the work.

Do pediatricians refer children to pediatric dentists?

Yes, pediatricians’ primary care is a pediatric primary care and pediatric specialists such as pediatric cardiologists, pediatric neurologists, and pediatric ophthalmologists.
Pediatricians must refer their patients to pediatric dentists for dental services under the direction of a medical director and with the informed consent of parents or guardians.

What if pediatricians miss a child’s dental problems?

Pediatricians may miss pediatric dental problems, particularly pediatric tooth decay.
In some pediatric practices, pediatric dentists serve as pediatric medical directors to oversee pediatric patient referrals from pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners for pediatric oral health care.

Will parents or guardians sign a consent form to send their child to a pediatric dentist?

Yes, a pediatric dentist in North Hollywood will sign pediatric patient referral forms to pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, and pediatric social workers about pediatric patients.

What is the pediatric dentist’s role in pediatric oral health promotion?
Pediatric dentists play a critical role in pediatric oral health promotion by providing preventive services such as pediatric dental sealants on the teeth and regular pediatric exams.

Can parents and pediatricians refer pediatric dental sealant patients to pediatric dentists?
Yes, pediatric dentist referral forms for pediatric dental sealant services may be completed and signed by parents or guardians and pediatricians.

Who pays the pediatric dentist if the patient needs a filling on a tooth with a pediatric dental sealant?

The patient’s insurance company may pay pediatric dental fees for pediatric restorative services on teeth with pediatric dental sealants.

What pediatric dentists do if patients have pediatric tooth decay?

Pediatric dentists provide compassionate pediatric care by treating pediatric tooth decay so that children may retain good pediatric oral health and development of normal self-image, learning ways to prevent future pediatric tooth decay, and developing pediatric long-lasting pediatric preventive dental home care habits.

What pediatric dentists do if patients have pediatric gum disease?

Pediatric dentists provide compassionate pediatric care by treating pediatric gum disease to stop future pediatric tooth decay and maintain the health of the mouth and body and patient education so that children may retain good oral health and learn ways to prevent future pediatric gum disease.

What pediatric dentists do if patients have pediatric tooth trauma?
Pediatric dentists provide compassionate pediatric care by repairing pediatric teeth with pediatric restorative services to save the tooth and relieve pediatric pain, maintain the mouth and body’s health, prevent future pediatric dental conditions, and develop long-lasting pediatric preventive oral home care habits.

What pediatric dentists do if patients need pediatric dental sealants?

Pediatric dentists provide compassionate pediatric care by applying pediatric dental sealants to the teeth of pediatric patients to prevent tooth decay and strengthen the wearing down of the surfaces of teeth.

Who pays for pediatric dentist fees when pediatric restorative services, such as pediatric fillings, are needed?

Pediatric restorative services, such as pediatric fillings, may be covered by pediatric dental insurance plans.

Who pays for pediatric dentist fees when pediatric sealant services are needed?

Pediatric sealant services, such as pediatric dental sealants, may be covered by pediatric dental insurance plans and the patient’s medical insurance plan.

What do pediatric dentists do if pediatric tooth decay requires pediatric dental restorations or pediatric fillings?

Pediatric dentists provide compassionate pediatric care by restoring teeth with pediatric restorative services, such as pediatric fillings.

We hope these answers will help you understand a little more about children’s dentistry and the services we provide. If not, please give us a call at 818-927-0726 or send an email to vpdentalgroup@gmail.com so that we can answer any questions you have in person!