Kids Dentist
You may visit the dentist, but do your children? Have you thought about choosing a kid’s dentist yet? Pediatric dentists do not need to be specially certified, but if your dentist does not prefer to work with children, look for a dentist that does. Working with children in family dentistry is an art all on its own. If you find a dentist that your kids love, that will help to instill good hygiene practices for when they grow up and have their own families.
Finding a Kids Dentist
A great way to find a dentist for your children is to ask other children or their parents. Word of mouth can sometimes be the best when it comes to making choices about professionals for your kids to see. Your child should see the dentist for the first time sometime around their first birthday.
If your child goes to daycare, ask other parents at the daycare where they bring their kid and how they like it. You can also talk to friends and family about pediatric dentists that they have used. The more information you can gather, the better. If you live in a city, there are online parenting forums you can get information from. You can also use places like Angie’s List to find out what people think of different dentist services.
Your dental insurance coverage carrier should have a dentist search tool so that you can find the names of dentists in your area. If you don’t have a load of referrals and even if you do, do some research. Call around to each dentist, or visit the office to get a feel for what each place is like. Once you have done all of this go ahead and schedule a consultation. You can look for dentist recommendations or names:
- From family and friends
- From daycare
- From school
- From parenting forums
- From your insurance carrier
The Consultation
Depending on the age of your child, this process could take some time. With a younger child, you don’t want to schedule three consultations in a day because no matter what you do that last consultation will be no fun for anyone. You want to be sure to schedule them far enough apart that you can get a good read on how your child feels about the doctor.
During the consultation, you should have a list of expectations and questions. You should both feel comfortable with the doctor. A pediatric or general dentistry office should have toys and a welcoming atmosphere. Here are some questions that you may want to ask the kids dentist in Deer Park, TX.
- What age ranges do you serve?
- How long have you been a dentist?
- How often do you recommend x-rays?
- How often do you recommend teeth cleaning visits?
- Do you think that baby teeth should be filled?
Other things to consider are the costs that your insurance provider will cover. Sometimes this can vary by the dentist. If the dentist you are visiting recommends cleaning every four months and your insurance will pay for two a year, then ask if that is something they can work with.