I’ve heard it time and time again, parents that are apprehensive for their child’s first dental appointment. Parents often bring their children to their own dentist, someone they have known for years and come to trust for their own intraoral care. What then, is a pediatric dentist and why might they be a good fit for your child?
Specialized Training
Just as a pediatrician completes a residency to specialize in pediatric medicine, pediatric dentists have an additional 2-3 years of training, specialized in meeting the intraoral needs of children. All five of our pediatric dentists are also board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and two of the five, Drs. Chris Maestrello and Dr. Malinda Husson, are dual trained in pediatric dentistry and in dental anesthesiology.
Equipment
While standard adult-sized dental equipment will allow the treatment of children, our office is tailored to make sure our patients are as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Both of our offices are set up with open bays for hygiene check-ups, taking advantage of the concept that younger children can often benefit from seeing older, cooperative children getting their teeth cleaned and examined. It also provides the opportunity for siblings to be seen at the same time and for parents to be included in these appointments.
Child-Friendly Team
Our team members are specially trained to help ease the fears of apprehensive young patients and to meet the unique needs of our patients with special health care needs. We often joke that many of our doctors and dental assistants are “big kids themselves;” a trait that is sure to make your appointment smoother and a lot more fun for your child!
