As your child moves into their teenage years, you may wonder whether they should see a pediatric dentist or switch to general dentistry. The answer is clear - teenagers must continue visiting their pediatric dentist for multiple compelling reasons. Below are some of them:
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| Pediatric Dentistry |
Ongoing Development:
Teenagers may no longer be children, but their mouths, faces, and jaws continue to change rapidly. The changes that impact the oral health of their adolescents. Pediatric dentists specialize in meeting adolescents' unique needs, including education on proper hygiene and any orthodontic services required due to teeth crowding issues.
Specialized Orthodontic Evaluations:
Teen years can be the ideal time for considering orthodontic care. As young people develop, their jaws may not keep pace with the eruption of permanent teeth, leading to crowding or impaction issues that necessitate further evaluation by pediatric dentists who specialize in early identification of issues and can advise parents when and how often orthodontic care should be sought. Pediatric dentists can identify these early on and guide you in seeking assistance when necessary.
Wisdom Teeth Management:
Wisdom teeth, or third set of molars, typically appear during the late teens to early twenties and can cause serious discomforts such as pain, crowding, and decay due to being hard to clean and, therefore, vulnerable to bacteria growth, cavities, and gum disease. Pediatric dentists play an invaluable role in keeping an eye out for any issues associated with wisdom teeth management.
Fostering Independence and Responsibility:
Teen years are an exciting transitional stage when kids develop self-care and responsibility skills. Pediatric dentists help teens make healthy nutritional choices, understand their dental needs, and prepare them for adult life when making health decisions. Their guidance is particularly crucial given the unique challenges teenagers face, such as the risk of sports injuries, diets high in sugars and carbohydrates, or orthodontic appliances being present.
By age 18, teens should visit either a general or adult dentist regularly for dental check-ups and treatment. By this point in their lives, most will have stopped growing significantly, completed any required orthodontic treatments, managed their wisdom molars as needed, and become more responsible for maintaining good oral hygiene practices.
Conclusion:
Overall, having your teen visit a pediatric dentist offers many advantages. These experts understand the special challenges and changes associated with adolescence and are well-equipped to guide your teen through this important phase. Their expertise includes growth monitoring, orthodontic needs analysis, wisdom teeth removal management, and developing healthy habits, making them invaluable guides along their oral health journey. To know more, visit https://www.roselanddentaltoronto.ca/pediatric-dentistry/
