The American Dental Association suggests taking your child for their first dental visit when their first tooth appears, which is usually around one year old. After that, it’s recommended that you schedule them for a routine checkup and cleaning every six months. This allows their provider to help guide their still-developing smile and avoid potential issues.
Your child’s pediatric dentist undergoes specialized training to be able to work on kids’ teeth and gums, but did you ever stop to wonder about the history of this field of study? Continue reading to learn more about how this specialty has evolved over time!
When Did Pediatric Dentistry Begin?
Dental history itself can be traced all the way back to ancient humans around 5000 B.C. However, the focus on children’s oral health may have begun with a text on the topic titled “A Practical Treatise Upon Dentition” written in 1742 by Dr. Robert Bunon, who is often considered “the father of pediatric dentistry”.
Then, the field gained additional notoriety in the 1900s, when an American dentist named Alfred Jones opened a dental hygiene school in Connecticut. The school had a dental care program for public schools to teach kids the importance of routine dental maintenance, which many consider to be the start of the rise of pediatric dentistry.
Meanwhile, around that time in Los Angeles, California, a dental assistant named Minnie Evangeline Jordon created her own dental practice for children. This is often considered the first of its kind, and also allowed her to study the effects of sugar on kids’ teeth.
How Did Pediatric Dentistry Evolve?
Then, in the 1940s, the American Dental Association officially recognized pediatric dentistry as its own specialty, raising general awareness about the importance of caring for children’s smiles. This resulted in nearly 50% more children being taken for dental visits, so a federal agency founded the Pediatric Dentistry Training Program to educate potential providers.
Things continued to progress until the Secretary of Health and Human Services informed Americans about a national report about kids’ oral health in the 1990s, and about 5 years later, the ADA began recommending that they have their first dental exam when their first tooth erupted.
Since then, the field has continued to grow in leaps and bounds as dental technologies, materials, and techniques are ever-evolving. Today, your pediatric dentist is an accomplished expert trained to advanced technology to help protect and preserve your little one’s smile!
Meet the Author
Dr. Susan Podray-Donovan has more than a decade of experience helping children build and maintain beautiful, healthy smiles. She earned her dental doctorate from at Temple University, where she stayed to achieve her Orthodontic Certificate. Today, she provides a comprehensive menu of services to kids from 0 to 18 to help strengthen their teeth and gums to prevent potential issues, such as cavities and gum disease. If your child needs a checkup, you can request an appointment on the website or call (678) 456-5572.