Regular Dentist or Pediatric Dentist

We had to start taking our son to the dentist at 1 year. Regular dentists wouldn't take one so young so we started seeing Michelle Haman in Co springs (and we live 2 hrs from there!). She is really quick and really great, her office staff is very nice too. We've really liked her, and even though it is quite a drive we will continue to go to her. I would recommend her, or at least a ped. dentist. The whole office is usually geared to kids and makes it all easier.
HTH,
S.

1 mom found this helpful

I have always taken my 4 kids to a pediatric dentist. They love going because the office is "equipped" for children. They get to play video games during cleanings, they get prizes for no cavities, and they have toys in the waiting room. It's kind of like the difference between taking your kids to a pediatrician's office or to your GP's office. In the end, I don't think it matters a great deal, but it makes the kids more comfortable and cooperative.

I would go to a family dentist unless your child had some specific teeth issues that need a "specialist". We use the same philosophy when deciding between a family practice doctor/pediatrician.

I like the reg. dentist because then the whole fam. can go to the same place. My dentist is great with Kids--I think that makes the biggest difference. Pediatric dentists put the kids under to give them fillings etc. where the regular dentist cannot do that. I guess part of it will depend on how your child does, if she's really squirmy or not. and the ability of the dentist to get along with kids--like I said mine is great--even had us bring her in before she was 3 to just sit in the chair and let him put his finger in her mouth and move it around. My last checkup I brought her with me and she sat on my legs while they did everything but the x-ray. it was great, they were really good about it, and she was curious and then wanted him to look at her teeth. I think it helped that she could see me go to the dentist as well--I've never had any experience with a pediatric dentist though--I always went to a family one as a kid. some were good and some were really freaky--(we lived in some very rural places and had a traveling dentist that's "office" was in a trailer he pulled from town to town. and he looked like a crazy Einstein kind of guy--and wasn't very nice. shudder shudder)
My BIL is a dentist and I asked him what he thought and he told me to make sure the dentist is good with kids and then it doesn't matter too much unless you want them to be able to put your kid under for the fillings.
GL!

I really like the pediatric dentists as the environment is better suited for little children & boy as scary. I take my son to "Toothzone" in Fort Collins. Dr Oberman is wonderful & used to be both my husband and my dentist when we were little.

Regular dentist that is kid friendly with toys in waiting room and the kids can watch a movie or play a video game on the screen on the ceiling while being worked on.

I went with a Pediatric dentist when I started taking my son at age 2. They do a great job with kids and typically have the offices set up to be really kid friendly and they are well equipped to handle situations where kids may be really anxious or completely uncooperative. I've been really happy with the experience.

I used a pediatric dentist for my little ones until they were about 6. In my experience some regular dentist dont have enough patience to deal with a little one who may not want to cooperate. Beware though most insurance plans consider this a specialist and will not cover anything other than your routine cleanings.

My advice is to talk to your dentist and ask how he/she is with children. I know that my dentist doesn't really like to work with kids, he will but he doesn't like to. So I brought my kids to a ped dentist until they were big enough that they were not a problem in the chair, actually, there is only one of my kids that will sit for him and he is 11 now. If you dentist is really good with kids then I agree with the last posting that its fun for the whole family to go to the same place but if they are hesitant and nervous working on kids then its better to bring them somewhere where they are more prepared to deal with what children are likely to do in a dental chair; squirm.

From a dentists point of view, the tools that they use are very fast and cut away tooth material so it would be very easy to cut a mouth if a child moved suddenly so if the child is nervous and jumpy it can make for an interesting experience for the dentist/hygienist. If the dentist is comfortable working with squirmy little ones than this is most often alright but if they are uncomfortable, then every time that child moves, all they are thinking about is not cutting this child's mouth with the tool they are working with... pretty nerve wracking. I have had this explained to me by a very good friend of mine who is a dentist. That's what made us choose the ped dentist, we didn't want to put him through any unnecessary stress.

Hope that helps.

S.

My daughter goes to my pediatric dentist from 20 some years ago. I wouldn't take her to a regular dentist because it can look kinda scary.
Dr. Barr ###-###-####

Hi,
I had to take my 2 year old last year to the dentist because of build up on the back of her teeth. My normal dentist wouldn't see her until she was 4 years old. The pediatric dentist was wonderful, but without dental insurance, the cost was $175.00, they did give a discount if you paid at the visit bringing it to 140.00, but still a bit expensive.
Good luck!

I prefer family dentists but I've never been to a peds dentist. Growing up, we had a family dentist & that's just what I chose for myself too. I like the idea of not having to switch when my child gets to a certain age. Whoever you choose, make sure to interview them first-they'll let you come check it out or they're not a place you want to consider anyway-& take your daughter to check them out too. I loved our last dentist-he looked like the snowbird, golf in FL grandfatherly type. Made me feel comfortable (I'm a bit of a denta-phobe) & my kids loved him. I tried to get him to move with us, but... lol Check out the toothbrushes too-my growing up dentist gave basic brushes. Our last dentist had cool, action figure brushes-to me that says he's willing to go the extra step for his patients, of all ages. I also checked him out on the Better Business Bureau website-a complaint back before I was born & he's been in business nearly 50 years. I was fine w/that!
If you go to your first visit & it just doesn't feel right to you, it's totally okay to switch dentists. Just ask for your records to be transferred to the next one.

I would definitely suggest a pediadentist. I did not do this with my first, and he is dental phoebic (as am I), and my youngest I started out with the pediadentist (both kids are there now), and he LOVES going to the dentist. There personalities are different, but I still wish I'd done the pediadentist from the start. Heck, I wish I could go to the pediadentist. ;)

BTW, we go to Granger Pediatric Dentistry in W.Valley. We live on the East side, but they're worth the drive.

My kids love their pediatric dentist! Everything in the office is kid sized, and on their level. When the hygenist comes out, she goes directly to the child. After visiting with the child, she asks permission to speak with the parent. She then leads the child back to the exam room, explaining everything in child-friendly terms. My kids love Dr. Todd because he is THEIR dentist and they are the absolute center of attention during the appointment.
I would recommend asking friends and neighbors for recommendations to a dentist. Don't be afraid to visit a couple of offices before choosing a dentist either. Ultimately, you want your daughter to enjoy her experience so that she is not afraid to go back to the dentist in the future.

Hi. My daughter is 2 1/2 and just had her first dental experience. We took her to a pediatric dentist and it was a great experience for her and me. They were nice and able to be on 2 year old time- play a little and then do a little work. They gave her stickers and a toy when we left and they had tons of toys in the waiting room for her to play with. It was very relaxed and I was surprised that they were able to clean and floss all of her teeth. She didn't mind it at all. I don't have the experience of being at a regular dentist with a toddler, but I have to say that taking toddlers to a pediatric dentist made the most sense to me. Good luck!

I've been to both and I agree with the other moms. The pediatric dentist is really set up to deal with kids and really has some advantages. There are some regular dentists that are good with kids and are also set up to entertain/calm children - and you can take the whole family to one place. There's one other thing you should look into before you make your decision. Pediatric dentists go to more school and are considered specialists. That means that they charge more for their services - even the ones that are exactly the same as the ones the regular dentist - even just the cleanings & routine checkups. If you don't have insurance, it just means more out of your pocket. If you do have insurance, find out how they pay specialists. For a few years, my insurance wasn't paying all of the charges for cleanings - even though the plan was supposed to pay for 100% of cleanings. The pediatric dentist was writing off the difference and not billing me for the rest - until about 6 months ago when they started charging me the extra. I've since moved to a regular dentist and while I would probably still go back to the pediatric dentist if everything were equal, I am very happy with the regular dentist and my kids have done just fine. Just make sure you understand what you will be paying before you go, because the pediatric dentist will probably be more expensive & you will need to decide if it is worth the extra money. For me, it was great, but not worth the extra money I was paying for the same service.

My children actually enjoy going to the pediatric dentist and get excited when the appointment reminder postcard comes. That's a pretty hefty endorsement, I think! Best wishes, and good for you for being proactive about your daughter's dental health!

We have a neighborhood dentist, and he sees children and adults all day long. As long as the regular dentist has a significant child clientele, they're going to be up on all the nuances of children's dentistry. And remember, the moment they see anything like the need for braces, they don't do it themselves, they refer you to a pediatric orthodontist.

I go to a family dentist, and started taking my son there when he was 3. She's great with kids and my son was much calmer about the whole process after I explained that I also go there to get my teeth cleaned. Now he's 5 and seems to like the idea that the whole family goes to the same dentist. I did look into a pediatric dentist, but I couldn't find one I liked that my insurance covered, and in the end I felt more comfortable taking my son to someone I was already familiar with.

I use a pediatric dentist (Dr. Freeman in Boise) for my 2 1/2 year old. He has been wonderful! He is office is set up for a peaceful, yet child oriented experience. He is great with my son and my son likes going to the dentist. Dr. Freeman said that using a pediatric dentist is important because they stay up to date with their specialty. They can notice and fix dental problems much sooner than regular dentists and most importantly - they should actually like kids! To me, dental health is important as I had lots dental work when I was young, so I feel better using a recommended pediatric dentist for my son.

Based on my experience I would totally go pediatric. We go to the kids dental barn in Riverton and its fantastic! Everything is done to make the kids comfortable, and so far my kids actually enjoy going to the dentist. I grew up being terribly afraid and its really eased my mind to see how nice they make it for my kids.

I appreciate our pediatric dentist so much! I think that a pediatric dentist have a apecial interest in children and can be very calming. I know that my kids dentist has always gone over every procedure, the first time, carefully explaining the process and letting the kids hold the dental insturments. We have had everything from cavaties, to pulled teeth and he has taken some scary processes and made them great learning procedures.

My son had a HORRIBLE ped. dentist experience and the more I talked with other moms in my community the stories got worse and worse about this dentist.

I have found a great family dentist with the recommendation of many families and she is WONDERFUL! Not only with the kids but with mom and dad as well. Ask around your neighborhood I am sure there is one dentist that is recommended over and over again.