How to Talk to Child Patients About Losing Their Baby Teeth

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A dentist that works with a child from infancy to adolescence is a pediatric dentist. He or she has been educated to specialize in dentistry working with children and special needs patients. They will diagnose, treat, maintain, educate, and communicate with children and their parents on the prevention of tooth and gum disease. Their job is not only to treat, but also to teach families how to help their children take care of their baby teeth, leading into their adult teeth.

All About Baby Teeth

A pediatric dentist will not only attend college for dentistry, but also take courses on child psychology, child related pharmacology, child development and other classes related to pediatric dentistry. A dentist who works with children needs to have that special chair side manner that makes them feel at ease, and also have the gift of patience. He or she must present calmness. The parents have to talk to the dentist and let them know of any issues there might be, or anything that might help during the visit. This requires good communication skills.

Presentation and Environment

Probably the first thing a child wants to know about going to the dentist, or any other office, is “Will it hurt?” Sometimes, if parents make a visit prior to a child’s appointment it may take some of the anxiety out of the equation and help them feel more at ease. Doctors try to have the office set up specifically for children, including smaller furniture, kid’s magazines, brighter colors, a friendly staff and other materials of interest to children. The dentist and the staff will usually dress the part being colorful and cheerful. Some even have colorful illustrations on their dental masks. There are also special programs for children such as the Cavity Club or Tooth Tots, and sometimes parents are even allowed in the room during treatment.

The dentist will oftentimes get the child patient to draw a picture of their mouth and where they might be hurting. They do not communicate negatively and ask that their parents do the same. Dentists will show a great deal of patience with the child and show them what the tool is, tell them what it does then do the treatment. They use lots of praise along with calm and firm voice. Sometimes the office will have audio that is child based and videos to help explain what a dentist does and what they can do to help keep good oral health as they grow up.

Baby Teeth and Dentistry Career Information

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a pediatric dentist salary can range from $170k to as much as $400k per year, depending on region and employer. The education that a pediatric dentist receives is highly geared toward not only knowledge in dentistry, but communication with children and those with special needs. Their goal is to treat the children and their families with as little stress as possible. They do not want the child to feel as though going to the dentist is a punishment. Oral health is just as important as the rest of the body.