Oregon Careers in Healthcare

Given that it’s within the professional scope of both a pediatric dental surgeon and a regular dentist to provide dental care to children, you’d be forgiven for assuming that the differences between the two are minimal. Both are qualified doctors of dentistry after all. However, it’s from that point in their respective academic backgrounds that the very real differences dividing the two begin to become apparent. Dental surgeons talk about their education and different dental specialties.

Whereas regular dentists immediately branch out into professional practice, pediatric dentists pursue specialized training dedicated specifically to pediatric dentistry. Over an intensive postgraduate program, lasting 2-3 years, pediatric dentists develop a range of expertise uniquely focused on the challenge of working with children. Over that time, they become versed in the intricacies of child behaviour, build a professional acumen for treating children with special needs, and develop a comprehensive knowledge of the stages of childhood tooth development. On top of all that, pediatric dentists also learn how to safely anesthetize and sedate child patients and how to manage both preventive and invasive oral care programs. As a result of their highly specialized training, pediatric dentists are uniquely positioned to expertly treat dental issues affecting children.
Although general dentists may offer similar services, it’s much more difficult to ascertain their expertise with respect to the very specialized demands of pediatric dentistry. What’s more, pediatric dentists understand how best to engage with children so as to reduce any anxiety about dental procedures. Indeed, this child-friendly ethos is a central tenet of pediatric dentistry and its influence can be noted in everything from clinic design to the use of dental equipment customised to match children’s needs. Given that regular dentists necessarily have a much broader client base, such a singularity of focus is inherently non-replicable for them.

Ultimately, therefore, what makes a pediatric surgeon different from a regular dentist is their detailed knowledge of both the theoretical and practical complexities of pediatric dentistry.