As your child grows up, you may wonder whether to take them to a children's dental care specialist or switch to a dentist for adults. You may also be figuring out the best time to switch to an adult dentist.

Though your teen is not a child anymore, they should continue seeing a pediatric dentist for several reasons. They are experiencing changes and growth in their mouth, and most of these changes affect their oral health.

Children's dental care specialists attend to kids' oral health from infancy through their teenage years. Here is how your teenager can benefit from their help.

Teenagers Continue to Grow in Their Teen Years

Though your teenage child will no longer have baby teeth, they will still experience changes in their face, jaw, and permanent teeth. A pediatric dentist can monitor these changes as soon as they occur. The specialist can also help treat dental problems such as missing teeth, sensitive teeth, and crooked teeth that are common among teens.

Wisdom Teeth Come with a Set of Problems

At times, wisdom teeth grow without causing any dental problems. But when they fail to grow properly, a dentist needs to intervene. 

Your teen child may have teeth growing sideways or overcrowded teeth as they grow wisdom teeth. The growth may also cause dental shifting or damage to the adjacent teeth. In such a case, a children's dental care specialist can diagnose the problem and recommend teeth extractions if necessary.

Possible Need for Orthodontic Services

As your teen child grows, there is a chance that their jaw might not grow at the pace of the permanent teeth. As a result, they may experience problems with biting, chewing, or speaking. 

Orthodontic treatment seeks to ensure proper teeth function and create healthy smiles. It can help treat problems such as misaligned teeth, crowded teeth, and teeth impaction. So, if your teen child experiences these dental problems, a visit to a pediatric dentist is necessary. 

Responsibility and Independence

Your child will learn to take care of their oral and overall health throughout their teen years. They will learn how to make healthy food choices and respond to their dental needs without supervision as they grow. 

But before your child gets here, they will need someone with expert knowledge to give them direction. They will therefore have to continue seeing a children's dental care specialist until they reach adulthood to develop good dental hygiene habits.  

For more information, contact a local company like Dentistry For Children & Adolescents.