How to Choose the Best Pediatric Dentist in Your Area

If choosing a dentist for yourself is hard, choosing the best pediatric dentist in your area is even harder! Most parents spend a lot more time researching dentists for their kids than they spend researching their own dentists, and it’s easy to understand why—dental anxiety often starts with one bad experience in the dentist’s chair during childhood. We want nothing but the best for our kids, especially when it comes to something as important as their dental care. Here’s what to look for to help you find the best pediatric dentist near you.

A pediatric dentist or orthodontist graduates from dental school just like any other dentist, but then they go on to receive two to three additional years of training and education to prepare them for their chosen specialty. This specialization should be the minimum of what you look for in a pediatric dentist or orthodontist, but if you want to be assured that your child is seeing a true expert, seek practitioners who are board-certified.

Any dentist who has completed a graduate program in pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, or another dental specialty is eligible for board certification, which involves passing a written Qualifying Examination and an Oral Clinical Examination. These exams ensure that a dentist demonstrates proficiency and excellence in their area of specialization.

It’s a good idea to ask about the technology used in a pediatric dental practice when you’re evaluating your options, as new dental technology usually means a more comfortable experience and better patient outcomes. An example of this is no-shot laser dentistry, which is why we offer it at Adelberg Montalvan.

Laser dentistry can be used to prepare teeth for dental fillings or for soft tissue procedures, like tongue and lip tie releases. The benefits of both include less bleeding, lower infection risk, and no pain. In most cases, anesthetic shots aren’t even needed!

Some pediatric dental practices only offer sedation in the form of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. This is adequate for many procedures, but if your child has extreme dental anxiety, special needs, or requires extensive dental work, nitrous oxide may not offer the level of sedation they need, leading to a traumatic experience—or requiring you to find another dental practice for your child’s procedure.

We offer safe IV sedation performed by a medical anesthesia team for such circumstances. While your child will still technically be conscious with IV sedation, they will feel as if they are sleeping and have no awareness of the dental work being performed and no memory of it afterwards.

As a parent, you have enough on your plate as it is. School drop-offs, sports practice, and all those extracurricular activities and playdates that keep your kids busy and you on your toes. The last thing you need is to have to shuttle your child back and forth between several different dental specialists or coordinate care between multiple practices.

At Adelberg Montalvan, we offer complete pediatric dental care, which includes orthodontics, oral surgery, and general dentistry on-site. This makes things easier for you, and it’s also easier on your kids because they can get all of the dental services they need in one familiar location.

If you’re looking for the best pediatric dentist near you, we think you’ll agree that Adelberg Montalvan fits the bill. Contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations in Massapequa Park, Nesconset, West Islip & Northport, New York.