Five Questions To Ask Your Kids' Dentist

Choosing a dentist for your child can be a nerve-wracking affair. Once your kids’ baby teeth are replaced by permanent adult teeth, they’re in it for the long haul – so finding a kids’ dentist who will help them to understand the importance of good oral health without scaring them is paramount. Children’s dentistry is about much more than keeping your kids’ teeth clean and healthy – it’s about arming your kids with the knowledge they need to have a healthy mouth for the next hundred years.

So when you start the search for a kids’ dentist, be prepared to ask him or her a few questions about the business. You can learn a lot from a kids’ dentist from a simple interview, and any serious oral health professional should be happy to sit down and discuss how, together, you can give your child the healthiest teeth in town.

You say you’re a kids’ dentist, but do you specialize in children’s dentistry? Being a dentist for kids is different from being a dentist for adults. People develop fears of going to the dentist because of lessons learned early in life; you want a kids’ dentist who understands the fears and apprehensions that go hand-in-hand with being a kid. Make sure your new dentist knows that he’s helping your kids form an opinion of dentists and oral health care that’ll make a lifelong impression.

What kind of training have you had in children’s dentistry? Pediatric dentists learn about dental problems specific to children and adolescents. Their technical training allows them to specialize in treating these problems. Make sure your kids’ dentist is fully trained in the latest treatments and technologies related to pediatric dentistry.

Can you provide pediatric dentistry to physically or mentally disabled kids? A dentist who can accommodate the special needs of disabled children is a dentist with a broad repertoire of medical strategies. Even if your child has no disability, asking this question can provide a valuable picture of your kids’ dentist’s sensitivity and level of training.

Can you teach my child to brush and floss – and help him understand how important these things are? Let’s face it: Bad teeth are better for business than good teeth. So you want to make sure your kids’ dentist has their best interests at heart, and can help them to understand – without scaring them – how good oral health can help them ensure the only reasons they’ll ever need to visit the dentist are cleanings and regular checkups. Make sure your kids’ dentist puts their teeth ahead of his bottom line.

Will you help me get a second opinion or transfer my records to another dentist? This is a question that any dentist – not just a kids’ dentist – should say “yes” to. Particularly for an expensive or complicated procedure, it’s never a bad idea to get an opinion from another dentist. A kids’ dentist, kids’ dentist, just like an adult dentist, should assist in the transfer of records and make the transition as smooth as possible.

Comprehensive Family Dentistry is a kids’ dentist serving patients in the Newtown, Langhorne and Philadelphia areas, as well as much of Bucks County. Give us a call, and set up an appointment for your kids today.