Why Pediatric Medicine and Pediatric Dentistry Should Go Hand-in-Hand
Pediatric doctors and pediatric dentists have typically kept their practices and focuses completely separate. One focuses on the health of the body, and one focuses on the health of the mouth. When these fields are isolated from one another, parents often do not have access to important information about the oral health of their infants and young children and how it is impacting their child’s general health and wellbeing.
However, as more and more research is done on the connection between oral health and overall health, this is starting to change, and more pediatric health experts are joining forces to treat children’s health using a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach. Outpatient clinics that staff both pediatric doctors and pediatric dentists are becoming more common, like Kids Corner Medical & Dental in Oakville Ontario, that provides medical and dental services to young people from birth to their 18th birthday. By accessing your child’s pediatric care from a clinic that considers both medical and dental health as important building blocks in a kid’s overall well-being, you’ll be exposed to all the resources needed to set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy teeth that contribute to your child’s development into adulthood.
Why is this important?
Pediatricians and physicians are your primary source of healthcare knowledge and advice, as they can provide pre-emptive guidance for parents that will help them recognize and prevent health problems from developing. Pediatric dentists can do the same, but in relation to a child’s teeth and mouth. These two types of healthcare are intricately connected, and when you trust in a facility that employs experts in both areas, your child gets the best of both worlds, a multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention, identification and treatment of many healthcare concerns that can develop during childhood.
These experts can work together to provide information to parents before the child is even born. A great example of this is the area of infant feeding. Before a child is born, parents can discuss and plan the strategy they plan to take in terms of feeding their babies. Most organizations focused on pediatric healthcare recommend exclusive breastfeeding until a baby reaches six months of age and continued breastfeeding for another year after that. This can have many significant health benefits including but not limited to protecting the child against infections in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. However, there is also evidence to suggest that exclusive breastfeeding can increase the likelihood of tongue-ties, making it important for pediatric dentists and pediatric doctors to work in close consultation with lactation specialists to provide the best care possible. Involving parents in the prevention and treatment of this type of issue is much simpler when their pediatrician is closely collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare experts.
It is a well-known fact that tooth decay is one of the most common chronic conditions that children face. It’s also a condition that begins in the mouth but can impact other areas of the body. Luckily, it’s a condition that can be easily treated if identified early. Seeking care from a team that employs both pediatric physicians and pediatric dentists can ensure that your child’s health is monitored by experts that can work together to ensure optimal care and results.
If you want a multi-disciplinary team of pediatric healthcare experts to look out for the health of your children, contact Kids Corner Medical & Dental to schedule an appointment today.
