There is not much difference between a regular dentist and a pediatric dentist. Port Richey residents might know that these dental professionals do the same type of work on their patients, just one chooses to work with adults while others choose to work for children. Even though they handle the same types of issues, they are often looking for different concerns. For example, a pediatric dentist might be more focused on healthy dental practices of their patients, while adult dentists might be concerned about ways to prevent further tooth decay. Some issues dealt with a pediatric dentist happen more often than other issues, and they may be worth learning about to prevent them from happening.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
One of the most pressing issues for pediatric dentists that are concerned with smaller children or patients is tooth decay way too early. As a pediatric dentist, Port Richey professionals watch out for something known as baby bottle tooth decay, in which the sugary drinks that we give our kids such as milk, fruit juice, or formula contains a high amount of sugar in them. Even though a child’s first set of teeth are not permanent, they still need to be cared for and remain healthy until they fall out. Many parents do not realize that the beverage they are giving their kids can drastically affect their child’s overall health of their teeth.
Thumb Sucking is Bad for a Child’s Teeth
Thumb sucking is normal behavior for babies and small children, but if this habit is to continue, usually past the age of five, it can have problems for proper teeth growth. When this issue is dealt with by a pediatric dentist, Port Richey parents should know that late-age thumb sucking can cause a child’s teeth to start having alignment issues. This is often a precursor to a very common dental issue known as an overbite. An overbite is not something that affects just children, as the issue can carry on into adulthood if it is left uncorrected.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Anchor Dental Care*