Pediatric dentistry is the specialty within general dentistry, in charge of checking, caring for, and restoring if necessary, the oral health of children, from the eruption of the first milk tooth, which occurs around 6 months of age, until approximately 14-16 years of age.
Periodic check-ups with the pediatric dentist are of great importance, since they make it possible to assess the correct development of the jaws, facial muscles, dental formation and eruption, as well as to maintain correct dental health.
According to specialists in dentistry, it is advisable for children to be treated by a specialist in pediatrics, since they are professionals trained to know how to treat children, helping them to create a bond of trust with the dental clinic, avoiding anxiety, fear, etc. …..
In addition, the treatments for primary and permanent dentition are different, as those for primary dentition must sometimes be less conservative to avoid possible problems in later dentition.
On the other hand, the importance of good dental health for children lies in the functions performed by the teeth, since they allow us to chew, speak correctly, influence the development of bones and facial muscles… and also play an important role in psychological development, influencing the appearance and self-esteem of the child.
Therefore, the pediatric dentist is in charge of educating the child for proper dental hygiene, which is also interesting for adulthood, assessing sealants in erupted first molars to prevent early caries formation in deep grooves, assessing the need or not to refer to the orthodontist according to the child’s bone and dental development, and performing the correct dental treatments to preserve space and health of the permanent tooth.