In Babies and More we have talked to you several times about the importance of taking our children to their corresponding oral reviews, in order to diagnose and treat any problem or anomaly that may appear early.
When the first teeth begin to erupt, it is time to pay a visit to the pediatric dentist, and when our child starts the final dentition we must take him to the orthodontist. Both specialists complement each other, and can get to work together when the time comes. We tell you what are the functions of one and the other, because although their name sounds similar, they are not the same.
The pediatric dentist, the children's dentist
When we think of our oral health, we think of the dentist, and although they can also do a review of our children from an early age, the specialist in the care of the teeth of the youngest is the pediatric dentist.
Ideally, take the babies to the pediatric dentist when the first teeth begin to erupt, and from that moment follow the advice of the specialists to perform periodic reviews.
The pediatric dentist will take care of any topic related to the oral health of babies and children, such as:
Oral reviews,
Childhood caries treatments (including bottle caries) and dental injuries,
Devitalize a nerve or make extractions,
Detection of possible anomalies in the dental position or of the jaw bones,
Detection of deformations in the oral cavity caused, for example, by the persistence of harmful habits such as the pacifier or sucking your finger,
Inculcate in the child, with the help of the parents, good habits of hygiene and oral health
But in addition to these functions, the pediatric dentist has the mission of customizing children to dental check-ups, providing them with a good experience and serving them in a friendly environment where they feel comfortable.
The pediatric dentist takes care of the oral health of our children until they reach 12-14 years, or even in some cases until 16. From that moment, they can go to a normal dentist's office.
The orthodontist, key when the final dentition begins
In case of any problem of dental malocclusion detected by the pediatric dentist, the child will be referred to the orthodontist's office, who is responsible for the correct alignment of the teeth, to guide the proper growth of the jaws and to correct the bite in case of There is a problem.
If, on the contrary, all revisions with the pediatric dentist have gone well, the first consultation with the orthodontist should be done around six years of age (or when the first definitive molar appears), and it is a very important visit that parents should not overlook or delay.
"An orthodontist is a specialist correcting alterations in the position of the teeth and jaws, taking care of both dental alignment and treating malocclusions. And it can treat both children and adults."
"When there is a major malocclusion or there is a dental malposition it is advisable to take the child to the orthodontist. There are certain things that a pediatric dentist can treat in children, such as putting a space maintainer, but as a rule, for a complex orthodontic treatment ideal is to take him to the specialist in this discipline "- highlights Dr. Iglesias Sánchez dentist and specialist in orthodontics at the Pérez Varela Clinic.
But in addition to oral problems, the orthodontist can detect other problems that apparently do not have much to do with the teeth but are equally important, such as the Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, that so many problems can lead to the child's health if it is not diagnosed and treated early.
Photos | iStock
Acknowledgments | Dr. Beatriz Iglesias Sánchez, member of the Spanish Society of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
