What is a Pediatric Dentist?

You can think of the pediatric dentist as the pediatrician of dentistry. After completing four years of dental school a pediatric dentist goes on to receive two to three more years of specialized training in meeting the dental needs of infants, children and adolescents. During residency training pediatric dentists are exposed to in depth training in managing dental emergencies in children, hospital treatment with general anesthesia, sedation dentistry, and analyzing oral growth and development. In addition, during their residency period pediatric dentists gain experience treating children with many different medical conditions.

Pediatric dentists limit their practices to children from infancy through the teenage years. The very young, pre-teens, and teenagers all need different approaches in dealing with their behavior, guiding their dental growth and development, and helping them avoid future dental problems. Pediatric dentists focus on prevention as well as early detection and treatment of any dental diseases that may arise in children. We are trained in ways to help children have a pleasant dental visit so they will feel good about visiting the dentist and can learn how to care for their teeth.

Dr. Porter and Dr. Hollowell each completed a pediatric dental residency at the VCU Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Porter and Dr. Hollowell each earned a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry as well as a Master’s Degree.