Tag Archives: Can adults see a pedicatric dentist

Must I Stop Seeing a Pediatric Dentist When I Turn 18?

I love my pediatric dentist. I’ve been seeing her since I was five years old. I love her. The office is great. The staff is nice. Everything is good there. She has seen me through a lot. We talk about everything. I also have some anxiety issues and she has always been good with me about it. The problem is, I’m turning 18 in a few months.  Are they going to kick me out of the office and make me see a regular dentist? If they let me stay, should I feel weird about it?

Jessi – Georgia

Dear Jessi,

Typically, they do see kids, but they also take care of adults who have special needs and those who can be better served by the fun and relaxed atmosphere only a pediatric dentist can provide. However, every pediatric dentist has his or her own guidelines, but many of them are glad to continue seeing people until they’re ready to move on, even after they are officially a legal adult.

At this stage, you probably still have another year of high school anyway, so it makes sense to keep with what you have going for the time being, especially because you’ve got such a good relationship with her.

The only real concern is if you need to have serious dental work done. If you wind up needing a root canal, crowns, periodontal care, or something along those lines, your dentist may not be able to do them. It wouldn’t be because she “can’t.” She has the same training and schooling as any other dentist, but with additional training in working with kids. However,  kids don’t often need those kinds of services, and so she might not be set up to perform them or she might perform them so infrequently that she’d refer you to someone else.

This may not even be a concern that you have to face, though, as long as your oral health remains good for your remaining years with her.

In all likelihood, they’ll be glad to see you for quite some time, but you may want to call ahead and see what their policy is just to be sure. No, you shouldn’t feel weird about it at all. You’ve found a great dentist that you’re comfortable with and it sounds like she treats you well. That’s worth hanging onto and she’d probably be glad to know how much she’s touched your life.

You may also tell her how you’re feeling. She may know who the perfect dentist will be for you when you’re ready.  It will be much easier to see a new dentist before there’s a serious issue than after.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.