All growing families need a good dentist, especially when children are involved. But one of the biggest troubles when finding a new dentist to work with is whether or not a family dentist or pediatric dentist is the right option. Pediatric and family dentists provide dental care, but how do you choose? Here, we’re going to describe the differences between family dentists and pediatric dentists and help you make the best and most assured choice for you and your family.
The Difference Between Family and Pediatric Dentists
Your dentist should be your trusted resource for your family’s care, but one of the biggest challenges with dental care is understanding the various specialties within dentistry. The three most common dental practices used today are general, family, and pediatric. General dentists work with adults, often single adults, to provide them with basic resources for dental care. But family and pediatric dentists work specifically for families and children, making their specialties a bit more focused.
However, there are also some significant differences in how both family and pediatric dentists treat their patients. They both focus on emphasizing preventative care but have ways that make them different, including:
- Demographic Range: Family dentists focus on, well, families. This includes teenagers, adults, and the elderly, including treatments for many dental cases. Pediatric dentists are primarily focused on children and sometimes teenagers and not the rest of the family.
- Treatment Options: Family dentists can provide more generalized options for treatment that meet the basic needs of families, including dental cleanings, wisdom tooth extractions, dentures, and other treatments. Pediatric dentists have a more specific focus. While they can provide many of the treatments listed above, their treatments often reflect the education they’ve received and thus focus on treatments for more complex cases of tooth care for children.
- Cost Measures: When it comes to costs, family dentists can often make it easier for parents and their loved ones to receive treatment more comprehensively, often compacting treatments and payment options into family plans. On the other hand, pediatric dentists don’t often provide these types of payment plans and thus make treatment more separated in terms of cost.
- Specialty Focus: Most of all, their educational backgrounds are different. Family and pediatric dentists tend to have minimum qualifications for a dentist, but family dentists also specialize in working with children and teenagers. On the other hand, pediatric dentists can specialize in a variety of focuses when handling children’s dental care, including orthodontics, special needs children, and oral surgery.
Finding The Right Dentist For Your Family
It all comes down to what you and your family need from your dentist. One of the best ways to find out about local families or pediatric dentists is by contacting your dental insurance provider about any qualified dentists in your area that can provide you with the treatment you need. Another way to find out is to schedule an appointment with a dentist you’re interested in to learn more about their services and gain a better perspective on how they can work with you and your family.
