{"id":391,"date":"2024-10-15T17:42:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T17:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brushforkids.com\/blog\/?p=391"},"modified":"2024-10-15T17:42:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T17:42:50","slug":"the-history-of-pediatric-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brushforkids.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/15\/the-history-of-pediatric-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Teeth Through Time: The Origin Story of Pediatric Dentists"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Today, when you think of a pediatric dentist<\/a>, you imagine a specialist dentist that\u2019s amazing with kids. What you don\u2019t think about is that the overarching profession of dentistry goes back countless centuries, with pediatric dentists only first entering the scene in the 1900s. Read on to learn about how the education, standards, and knowledge of growing smiles has changed throughout the years, and when pediatric dentists were first introduced to the field of dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Building Blocks of Pediatric Dentistry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pediatric dentists arose out of a passionate group of dental professionals interested in caring for and debunking the mystery surrounding children\u2019s smiles. American dentist Alfred C. Jones started the Fones Clinic for Dental Hygienists in Bridgeport, Connecticut (which is still there today!) to teach women how to clean school children\u2019s teeth. At the same time this children\u2019s dental health-centered school was opened, a dental assistant named Minnie Evangeline Jordon began her own dental practice, where she only saw children, in Los Angeles, California. It was a first of its kind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These ideas of specializing in taking care of growing smiles would later become known as the building blocks of pediatric dentistry, as they led to research on how certain foods and sugars impact children\u2019s teeth. Ultimately, based on this research, dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants began delving deeper into the unique needs of growing smiles, realizing the modern vision of pediatric dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Training Do Modern Pediatric Dentists Have?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pediatric dentists today solely see children between the ages of infancy to 18 years old. This is because the jaw and mouth stop developing around 18, and their specialty knowledge is centered around this oral growth period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike regular dentists who attend dental school and then go out into the world to practice, pediatric dentists take their education and training one step farther. After four years of dental school, they attend an additional two year residency program where they focus on treating infants, children, teens, and children with special needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This additional education and hands-on training provides them with unique insight into the development of children\u2019s facial anatomy, allowing them to spot and treat the early signs of concerns before they have an opportunity to progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Types of Treatments Do Modern Pediatric Dentists Provide?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, pediatric dentists do more than just clean teeth! They offer a wide range of services<\/a> focused on the prevention, restoration, and emergency care of children. Some of the treatments they provide include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n