What is a pediatric dentist?
Do you and your child share the same physician? Of course not. Following dental school a pediatric dentist has an extra two years of specialized training and is dedicated to oral health from infancy through the teenaged years. Training during residency includes child psychology, speech therapy, orthodontics, growth and dev elopement, sedation, nutritional counseling, and all facets of handling children with special needs. A pediatric dentist is best qualified to meet your child's needs.

When should i take my child to the dentist?
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Medicine, your child should visit the pediatric dentist no later than his first birthday. If we can teach our parents what to do to preventative behaviors, they will then be armed with the knowledge to help reduce decay, create a positive environment and healthy smiles that will last forever. The more times a child comes to the office with nothing to do the more comfortable he or she will be.

Why are primary or baby teeth so important?
It is very important to maintain the health of the primary teeth. Neglected cavities can lead to many problems affecting permanent teeth. Primary teeth are important for three specific functions; these are: chewing, speech, and primarily to maintain space for the eruption of the permanent teeth. While a child may loose the front teeth sometime between four and seven, the teeth in the back do not come out until 12 or 13, on average.

They are only baby teeth, do i need to restore them?
Yes. Decay is a disease process that does not go away unless we actively remove it. If teeth go un-restored, the decay process can continue to spread and eventually these teeth will abscess and could affect the permanent teeth.