I had read that children didn’t have to go to a pediatric dentist. I took my son to my dentist and he was terrible with children. Was I mistaken? Should I have taken him to a pediatric dentist?

Leslie M. – Staten Island, NY

Leslie,

You weren’t mistaken about the fact that children not having to see pediatric dentists, however, maybe your dentist isn’t the best choice when it comes to working with children.

Sometimes, an adult dental office has a dentist there that prefers working with children. Some even hire a pediatric dentist to come to their office. I’d ask the receptionist if you’re worried about hurting your dentist’s feelings.

One way to tell whether a general dentist is comfortable with children is when they say they’ll first see them. If they say they’ll take a two or three year old, you can know they’re truly comfortable. If they prefer  to wait until they are eight or above, I’d take that as a hint to look for someone else.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.