The fact is that not all dental care is quite the same, and what works for one person may not work for another. The dentist that I have always used in my adult life is what you might call a very serious man. He is direct, and straight to the point. He gives good dental care, but he does not try to deceive you. If it is going to hurt, he tells you. He is polite, but not all that warm and outgoing. He is a great dentist for me, but now that I have kids, there is just no way that I am going to take them to him – at least not right away. They need a kids dentist, and a kids dentist they shall have.
One of the most important factors in pediatric dentistry is the presentation of the dentist. Every children’s dentist knows, and will tell you if you ask, that almost all kids hate going to the dentist. That is why good pediatric dentistry involves doing anything possible to make the visit more entertaining, and easier for the kids. In most offices of pediatric dentistry, for example, you will see a treasure chest filled with little toys that the kids can take at the end of their visit. A good children’s dentist will also know a lot of little jokes that they can tell the kids to get them to loosen up and cooperate. That way, the actual meat of the pediatric dentistry visit can go much smoother, and they do not have to spend so much time fighting with frightened children. It allows everyone to win.
Of course, there is more to pediatric dentistry than just a warm smile and a good joke. Besides knowing how to deal with children, any expert in pediatric dentistry really needs to know about the unique issues that kids face with regard to their teeth. Kids are always growing and changing, and their mouths will grow and change with them. Sometimes pediatric dentistry involves orthodontics, as it is quite possible that the teeth will not all come in smoothly. Other times, pediatric dentistry really means teaching the kids to have some good dental habits when they are young, habits that will, hopefully, last for a life time. A pediatric dentist must know all of these things and be able to explain them both to the kids and to the parents. That is why pediatric dentistry is so complex, yet so rewarding a career.