Did you know that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an astounding 15.6% of American children ages six to 19-years-old have a cavity? As our diet becomes ever more heavily saturated with sugars and acids, that number is only set to increase over the coming years. While you can take steps to change your children’s diet and improve their dental health that way, it often takes the knowledge of pediatric dentists to help children form healthy dental hygiene habits that will last for life.
That being said, choosing pediatric dentists is often easier said than done. With a saturated market for family dentists, many families are left wondering how they can tell the good from the bad. If you’re in this camp, here are three simple ways to narrow down your search.
Three Pointers for the Family Searching for Pediatric Dentists
- Ask if They Have a Plan for Dealing with Odontophobia
- A DDS is the Only Way to Go
- Look at What Insurance Plans They Honor
According to Colgate, 15% of Americans admit to putting off visiting the dentist because of fear. This fear, known as odontophobia, is especially common in children. Ask any pediatric dentists you’re considering if they have a plan for and experience with dealing with children with this fear. If not, move along.
As SFKids.org, a San Francisco-based website promoting children’s health, suggests, pediatric dentists should have their Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS). A DDS means that your children’s dentist has spent two extra years in school to learn how to better take care of children’s dental health. In other words, they’re just about as close to specialists as you can get.
Unfortunately, money is something you have to consider when choosing a dentist for your children. With the price of cavity fillings, braces, and other treatments ever on the rise, you need to find pediatric dentists who accept your insurance, assuming of course you don’t want to wind up with a fat bill you have to pay out of pocket.
Are you a family dental care professional? What advice would you give families to find dentists for their children? Let us know in the comments below! To see more, read this.
