The Job Description of a Pediatric Dentist
While dentists are trained to provide oral health care--particularly the teeth and its associated structures--there are some who choose to specialize in an area where a younger section of the population pose unique problems. These specialists are known as pediatric dentists. They are named after pediatrics, a branch of medicine that involves the health care of infants, children and adolescents.
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Pediatric Oral Problems
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The health of a baby's teeth is essential for overall health and development. Unfortunately, it is much more difficult to clean the teeth of younger people. Thus, food particles remain in their teeth, causes bacteria growth and eventually tooth decay. According to a 2002 report by the Office of the Surgeon General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tooth decay is the most chronic childhood ailment, occurring five and seven more times than asthma and hay fever, respectively.
First Years of Oral Care
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Many pediatric dentists recommend that children pay their first visit to the dentist's office at age 1 so that they can develop long-term dental hygiene and professional dental cleaning plans. These plans usually include instructions for baby teeth cleaning, flouride treatments and/or dental sealants to prevent tooth decay. In some cases, the visit might occur sooner because of cleaning and removal of neonatal teeth (teeth that develop in the first month after birth), or an erupted tooth that requires cleaning.
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Child-to-Adolescent Oral Care
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By age 4 , children's teeth have erupted, making way for permanent teeth. This is when pediatric dentists recommend flossing, which children can do themselves by the age of 6; and mouth washing, which they permit children to perform on their own by age 7. Orthodontics--aligning teeth usually with the application of braces--is deemed appropriate as from the age of 7 onward.
Education, Licensure and Certification
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Usually, after earning a bachelor's degree within four years, aspiring pediatric dentists go to a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Dental school typically lasts four years, at the end of which graduates earn the Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine. Graduates must pass the ADA-administered National Board Dental Examination in order to gain licensure for practicing dentistry, and the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry offers certification for pediatric dentists.
Salary and Job Outlook
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pediatric dentists had a mean annual salary of around $154,000 in 2009. The BLS expects the dentistry profession as a whole to increase by 16 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is a faster rate than the average for all U.S. occupations during that period. Pediatric dentists in particular would be in higher demand if there is an increase in preventive checkups for young patients, among other factors.
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References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dentists
- Your Dentistry Guide: Pediatric Dentistry - Dental Care for Children and Infants
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009; Dentists, All Other Specialists
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health
