Pedodontics
Pedodontics is a discipline which focuses intimately on pediatric/adolescent growth and development, disease causality and prevention, child psychology and management, and all aspects of the highly-specialized Pediatric restorative techniques and modalities. Some Pedodontists also super-specialize in the care of "special needs" patients, such as people with cerebral palsy, mental retardation and autism.
Differentiating itself from regular dentistry, pediatric dentistry emphasizes the establishment of trust and confidence in children with their dentists. Consequently, one of the main components of pediatric training is child psychology. This manifests itself in special office designs, different communication styles and an emphasis on teaching preventative dental habits to children in an effort to make dental visits enjoyable.
Pedodontics places special importance in preventing tooth decay. Studies show that poor oral health care in children can lead to impaired school performance and poor social relationships. Therefore, Pediatric Dentists give advice on how to make teeth strong the importance of developing healthy eating habits and other ways to prevent disease from occurring.