Pedodontist vs. General Dentist: What’s the Difference?

Not all dentists are equal. For many parents, it is a common question to know whether to use a general dentist or paediatric specialist, pedodontist, for the dental care of the children. Though both are helpful, their scope of specialty and practice areas differ greatly, especially concerning children. In this blog, we’ll show you all the differences between a pedodontist and a general dentist and how choosing the right one would make a difference in your child’s oral health.

Pedodontics: What is It?

Pedodontics refers to paediatric dentistry or specialized dental care for infants, children, and teenagers. A pedodontics in Ahmedabad requires additional training through study that considers the specific nature of children’s dental health and so becomes equipped with knowledge of child psychology as well as behaviour management for a comfortable experience with young patients.

For families living in the city, pedodontics in Ahmedabad have become the most trusted and reliable providers of dental care to kids. Paediatric specialists can easily treat some classic childhood dental problems that include primary tooth decay, thumb sucking, and proper development of teeth and jaws.

Why Pedodontics?

The issue of dental health in children requires special attention, and endodontists are well prepared for this purpose. Here’s why pedodontics in Ahmedabad matter:

Child-Friendly Approach: A paediatric dentist in Ahmedabad knows the ways through which the dental visit can be made easier for the child. He uses child-friendly techniques and equipment that assure the experience of visit is free from stress both to the child as well as the parents.

Specialised Training: Pedodontists have 2-3 years of additional training after dental school, specialising in child growth and development, special needs patients and advanced treatment for paediatric dental conditions.

The main focus for paediatric dental clinics is prevention. Preventive care treatments include fluoride applications, dental sealants, and educational guidance on how to properly maintain oral hygiene. Most paediatric dental clinics in Ahmedabad teach children to brush and floss at a very young age to begin developing good habits.

General Dentist

General dentists offer most dental care services to any age, and most of them see children. General dentists would do checkups, fillings, cleanings and preventive care. However, they are not trained for dealing with issues specific to children. Most general dentists can see children but are not as prepared or skilled in paediatric dental care as a pedodontist.

General Dentist Responsibilities:

Routine Check-ups and Cleaning: General dentists maintain the overall health of mouths by conducting frequent check-ups, cleanings, and meeting with patients to deal with common issues that affect their oral cavity – cavities or gum diseases.

Fillings, Root canals, Crowns, Bridges: General dentists deal with filling, root canal, crowning, and bridging. They restore the damage that has ensued from decayed or broken teeth.

Adult and Geriatric Care: General dentists are trained to deal with adults, seniors, and patients of all ages.

How does a Pedodontist Differ from a General Dentist?

Pedodontists and general dentists focus on the same goal: oral health. Their training, specialty, and approaches, however, vary greatly. Here’s the difference:

Specialized Training and Expertise

A general dentist knows how to handle basic conditions of the teeth, but a pedodontist has special training in child-specific dental care. This additional training enables the pedodontists in  Ahmedabad to address every kind of dental problem a child can face, starting from the trouble faced during teething to cavities in the initial years of childhood to issues during the growth of aligned teeth. For example, “a pedodontist can identify whether a child’s teeth and jaw are growing improperly; thus, it may not be identifiable by a general dentist.”.

Paediatric dentists specialise only in children. Therefore, they more often acquire the skills to deal with child-related issues such as a thumb-sucking habit, pacifier habit, and dental phobia. A trip to a paediatric dental clinic in Ahmedabad is likely to offer a more customised and kid-friendly experience. The personnel are trained to put children at ease and the devices are most of the time smaller in size and less threatening for patients. On the other hand, a general dentist might not be suitable to work with fearful or apprehensive children regarding dental visits.

Preventive vs. Restorative Focus

General dentists are aware of common dental conditions, from routine cleanings and more complex procedures such as root canals or crowns. Paediatric dentists in Ahmedabad focus more on preventive care. They target the education of the child and their parents concerning healthy oral cavity, prevention of caries, and hygiene education from a very young age. Fluoride applications, dental sealants, and habit counselling are among the routines in paediatric clinics in Ahmedabad.

When should you take your child to a pedodontist?

For instance, a child can benefit from consulting a pedodontist when they are pretty young, perhaps at a year old or when having their first tooth. A paediatric dentist in Ahmedabad is more capable of dealing with the following cases:

Dental Anxiety: If your child is anxious about the dentist or is predisposed to fear by nature, a paediatric dentist in Ahmedabad will be able to provide them with a comforting atmosphere with the appropriate techniques that could help reduce their anxiety.

Serious Dental Conditions: Any child with specific dental needs such as early tooth decay, malocclusion or improper biting, or oral injuries are treated in the best way by a pedodontic specialist in Ahmedabad.

Preventive Treatment: If you desire your child to be treated and preserved from future lifetime oral conditions such as cavities, plaque, or any bacterial infection, then a paediatric dentist in Ahmedabad can provide them with the most suitable form of preventive treatment so that the child’s teeth grow perfectly healthy.

Growth Monitoring: One of the orthodontists’ ways of keeping track of the development of your child’s teeth and jaw, hence taking timely action in case of any kind of orthodontic problem.

Conclusion

Where a general dentist is highly skilled at the treatment of patients of all ages, a pedodontist specialises in meeting the needs of children’s oral health. Right from the type of equipment used in the practice to treatment and communication methods, pedodontics in Ahmedabad ensure children have excellent oral health from a young age.

And if your child needs a professional dental care session, you can think of Kids Dental Studio in Ahmedabad. They have a staff of experts dedicated to providing healthy results in a kid-friendly environment, ensuring your child has the best dental experience for a healthy smile all the way forward.

 

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