Dentists who specialize in child dental care from infancy up to early adulthood are known as pediatric dentists. They undergo special training to take care of a child’s teeth, gums, and overall mouth during the various stages of childhood.

The first milk tooth generally erupts at about 6 to 7 months of age, and the milk teeth start falling off at the age of about 6 to 7 years of age. The milk teeth are then replaced by a set of permanent teeth. If oral hygiene is not maintained in early childhood, it could lead to dental complications such as tooth decay and gum diseases. Early childhood dental caries is a prevalent condition at the moment. This could also affect the set of permanent teeth that erupt later.

It is therefore, of prime importance to visit a Pediatric dentist in Pune on a bi-annual basis as soon as the first milk tooth erupts in a child.

As a parent, it is easy to get confused about whether to opt for a general dentist or a pediatric dentist for your child.

The first factor to consider is the availability of either of the two in proximity to the area of your residence.

In the event of both these dentists being available near you, one needs to make an informed decision about which dentist to visit evaluating the different pros and cons of both.

A general dentist is qualified to practice on people from all age groups, but may not have the expertise to deal with infants and children as well as a pediatric dentist. This is somewhat similar to a case of going to a general physician v/s going to a pediatrician for your child’s medical treatment.

One may, however, argue that certain basic procedures like a check-up, teeth fillings, and dental clean-ups can be done just as well by a general dentist as a pediatric dentist, especially in slightly older and cooperative children. Also, the treatment offered by a general dentist is generally less expensive than by a pediatric dentist.

A pedodontist (or pediatric dentist) is better trained to treat young children and non-cooperative children. A pediatric dentist is well trained to perform some tasks such as:

• Oral health examination of infants
• Diet and nutrition counselling to parents
• Provide space maintainers in case of premature loss of milk tooth
• Provide emergency dental care to children
• Provide advice and appliances to prevent bad habits like thumb-sucking, use of pacifiers and nail-biting in children
• Guidance on the various products which can help maintain the child's dental health

A pediatric dentist offers complete oral health care in children that includes:

• Oral health examination in infants including risk assessment of caries in infants.
• Preventive dental care procedures such as fluoride treatment to make teeth stronger and avoid decay, pit and fissure sealants to stop an incipient decay and avoid any future decay, teeth cleaning procedure to prevent plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth which may lead to gum problems.
• Diet and nutrition counselling to parents concerning the oral health of the child.
• Counselling and treatment for bad habits like thumb-sucking, use of pacifiers, etc.
• Early assessment of improper bite or teeth that may require dental braces, and immediate referral to the orthodontist (teeth braces specialist) for the same.
• Dental fillings for decay in teeth.
• Root canal treatment and crown placement for teeth with deep cavities involving pulp tissue and) or having some kind of infection.
• Diagnosis of underlying medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, hay fever, congenital heart disease, and hyperactivity disorder.
• Management of gum diseases such as periodontal diseases, ulcers, mucoceles, short frenulum, etc.
• Emergency treatment for dental injuries.