Pediatric Dentists: Are They Capable of Performing Oral Surgery
Who Is a Pediatric Dentist and What Do They Do?
As you may already know, a pediatric dentist specializes in taking care of children’s and adolescents’ dental needs. In most cases, they deal with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area (neck, head, face, and jaw).
Therefore, you can expect our kid’s dentist to:
- Evaluate a patient’s medical and dental history and carry out dental exams
- Educate patients about oral diseases, dental conditions, good oral hygiene, and how to prevent oral diseases
- Diagnose maxillofacial and oral diseases based on the evaluation and tests
- Provide oral and dental care, which includes cleanings and fluoride treatment
- Treat various maxillofacial and oral diseases, including gum disease, temporomandibular joint disorder, and tooth decay
- Work with other professionals in the dental field to ensure that patients have received optimal care
Can a Pediatric Dentist Perform Surgery?
Picture a pediatric dentist as you would a regular doctor. Some doctors may perform surgery while others do not. So, the same principle applies to kids’ dentists; some may perform surgery, and others don’t.
A pediatric dentist who performs oral surgery focuses entirely on the mouths of children and adolescents.
However, there are some terms that you need to understand when it comes to titles given to dentists. There is Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), and Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) are degrees that dentists receive.
However, these two titles mean different things and cannot be used interchangeably. Both DDS’s and DMD’s will study for seven or eight years in dental school and college. After receiving training and passing their license exam, they will be qualified to be dentists.
On the other hand, a DDS will spend an extra 4 – 6 years training in a hospital surgical environment to gain expertise to perform oral surgery.
What Procedures Are Performed By a Kids’ Dentist?
Pediatric dental care is a bit different from adult dental care, but they are relatively the same. Their dental appointments will be more frequent since their teeth are still developing; thus, a kid’s dentist needs to monitor the growth.
The common surgical procedures performed are:
- Pediatric Extractions
Teeth that cannot be salvaged by the dental restorative treatments available, so the tooth has to be removed. This is done after the area has been numbed to ensure that the child is not in pain.
At times, your child may have overcrowded teeth that may make it difficult for orthodontic treatment to be effective. In many scenarios, the premolars and bicuspids are the teeth that will be extracted.
- Removal of Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth are teeth that have failed to pass through the gums. This is common with canine and wisdom teeth. When these teeth are impacted, the best solution would be to remove them.
- Dental Implants
If your child has lost a permanent tooth and the tooth had to be extracted, dental implants can replace the missing tooth. The dental implant is surgically inserted into your kid’s jawbone and becomes a part of their jaw.
Besides the above, a children’s dentist can perform other dental procedures such as:
- Restore damaged teeth using dental crowns
- Correct malocclusion and other orthodontic issues
- Root canal therapy to salvage infected teeth
- Use fillings to repair decayed teeth
If you are thinking of bringing your child to see our children’s dentist, contact us at A & A Dental to schedule an appointment.