Why Take Your Child to a Pediatric Dentist
Often in healthcare we see a specialist for various reasons. We have our primary care physician, but we may still see a dermatologist, an ophthalmologist, or an OB/GYN.
The same is true with dental care. Sometimes we need to see an oral surgeon, an orthodontist, or a periodontist. I had always gone to, and brought my son to, a family dentist. A family dentist treats patients of all ages, and often the entire family will see the same one.
I never realized that there was such a thing as a Pediatric Dentist. Just like many people bring their children to a pediatrician, rather than to a family doctor, you can opt to bring your child to a pediatric dentist, rather than a family dentist. I discovered this a couple of years ago.
Our family was seeing a dentist, and he did a great job, but did not have a very good "bedside manner". This personality conflict was a problem even for my husband and myself (and even extended to the office staff). We probably would have just dealt with it, especially since at most you see your dentist about twice a year. However, my son has an exaggerated gag reflex, and the dentist would scold him for being "uncooperative". I found this scolding to be unacceptable.
When I went in search of a new family dentist in the phone book, I saw a few listings for those specializing in pediatric, or children's, dentistry. So, I thought, well, they must know how to deal with kids and their various issues. I made an appointment with Dr. Yazdi in Burlington for my son. Dr. Yazdi was wonderful. His staff was helpful, and they even gave us a discount because, at the time, we did not have dental insurance. I mentioned to Dr. Yazdi the issue we were having with gagging. He assured me that this is a problem for many children, that it is not intentional on their part, and that usually they outgrow it, but not always. He was very patient with my son, and my son felt much more comfortable in his office. He even had appropriate prizes for after the visit (the prior doctor had toy guns in his prize jar, something we generally don't encourage).
The best thing that happened was that Dr. Yazdi discovered a significant problem with my son's gums, which was preventing his teeth from developing properly. He referred us to a wonderful oral surgeon, who confirmed the diagnosis, did the appropriate surgery, and referred us to an orthodontist for further work. It is possible that this problem would have been caught by our family dentist, but I have to credit the pediatric dentist with diagnosing the problem, and referring us to the appropriate specialists.
I strongly recommend a pediatric dentist for your children!