What is a Kid Friendly Dentist?

A kid-friendly dentist deals with the prevention and treatment of oral health concerns in children. Many also offer services to adults, but they take pride in offering a friendly environment for children, along with offering services that are more appropriate for young patients.

How a kid-friendly dentist can improve a child’s oral health

Children have unique dental needs. It is important to keep a child’s primary teeth and gums healthy to ensure the optimal development of their permanent teeth. A kid-friendly dentist assists with all aspects of a child’s dental needs, ensuring they develop healthy habits that carry into their teenage and adult years.

The role of a kid-friendly dentist

A kid-friendly dentist is a licensed dentist that offers services to children. They may operate other under titles as well, such as a family dentist. Kid-friendly dentists offer a range of services and assist with diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of oral health concerns. They typically have a more inviting dental office and fun ways for children to interact during each visit. This helps children develop healthy habits and thoughts about visiting the dentist regularly.

Treatment options from a kid-friendly dentist

As mentioned, kid-friendly dentists assist with diagnostic, treatment, and prevention. The diagnostic services include dental X-rays and oral examinations. The preventive and restorative treatments they typically offer children include:

• Dental sealants
• Fluoride treatment
• Dental cleanings
• Dental fillings
• Tooth extraction

Kid-friendly dentists may also do more to help children feel comfortable during treatment. This may include creating signals for the child to use if they ever start to feel uncomfortable and using sedation (i.e. laughing gas) to help them remain calm and pain-free during more invasive procedures.

What to expect during the first visit

The first consultation is designed for the dentist, the parent, and the child to get to know one another better. The dentist or a member of their team may perform an oral examination and order non-invasive dental X-rays as well. Based on the results, they can put together a treatment and prevention plan long-term and schedule a follow-up visit.

The benefits of visiting a kid-friendly dentist

There are many benefits to visiting a kid-friendly dentist rather than a general dentist that primarily treats adults. Most notably, children feel more comfortable and relaxed with a kid-friendly dentist as they do more to make the experience fun and friendly. They also offer more specialized services for children. For example, some dentists that mainly treat adults may not offer dental sealants, whereas a kid-friendly dentist does. Kid-friendly dentists also have a welcoming staff that understands how to effectively communicate with children and parents about oral care.