Pediatric dentistry covers the oral health of children from infancy through the teen years. Oral examinations will focus on a child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout the various stages of childhood.

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Children start to get their baby teeth during the first 6 months of life. Between the ages of 5 ½ and 7 years, they start to lose their first set of teeth, which are replaced by the secondary or permanent teeth. Failure to obtain proper dental care for children may result in possible oral decay and disease that can cause a lifetime of pain and potential complications. It is recognized that early childhood dental caries, which is an infectious disease has an incidence rate 5 times higher than asthma and 7 times higher than hay fever in children. Also, when you lose baby teeth prematurely due to severe decay or infection, the space should be maintained for the future permanent teeth. Failure to maintain the space may affect the permanent tooth’s ability to erupt normally and may cause an impaction that will need to be treated surgically.