Tag Archives: general versus pediatric dentist

Will a Pediatric Dentist Cost Me More Money?

I have been taking my son to my dentist. He’s four years old and isn’t doing well with them. They are not doing anything wrong, but seem to not be used to children. I’ve never really seen other children at their office either. I noticed that they get frustrated when he fidgets, but it is not excessive, just normal kid fidgeting. It takes everything I have to be able to afford the dentist as it is. I feel like my son may need a pediatric dentist, but I don’t know if they are more expensive. I’m not sure I can afford it if it is.

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

boy smiling with a toothbrush

Dental prices vary and are set by the dentists themselves. That being said, there are some general “rules of thumb” that could be helpful to you.

Pediatric Dentists are Specialists

Pediatric dentists have to spend a bit more time in school in order to specialize in children. As a result, their fees are often at least a little higher. That being said, location often has a greater impact on their fees than whether or not they specialize. If you go to a pediatric dentist in a wealthy area of town, their prices will be a bit higher. However, if you go to one just a few miles away from that area, you may see a drop in the fees.

Leverage Dental Insurance

If you have dental insurance, going in-network will often save you a lot of money. In many cases, regular checkups are completely covered or only have a small fee attached to them. In many cases, the insurance companies dictate the fees, which is why they will be lower than if you go out of network.

There are General Dentists Who are Great with Children

Though your dentist may not be great with children, there are many general dentists who are and love treating them as well. One way to know how good they are with children is to ask them which age they prefer to start treating them. If they say 2 years old (or around there) you can know they enjoy treating children. If they prefer to wait until they are around 5-8 years old, they don’t really enjoy treating children. They tolerate it.

Also, to put your mind at ease regarding qualifications, every general dentist has done a pediatric rotation so they are perfectly qualified to treat children. If anything tricky comes up, they will then refer you to a specialist.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.