Deciding If Your Teen Still Needs a Pediatric Dentist

You know, it is so funny, I was just thinking the other day about how fast kids grow up. One moment they are crying in the car seat, clutching that little toothbrush shaped like a dolphin, and then boom – braces, sports, college talk, acne, and well, you blink and they are taller than you. And somewhere in between all that, you stop and wonder – wait, should they still be going to the pediatric dentist?

Or does turning 14 or 15 mean it is time for a “grown-up” dentist now? I have been reading around, like those blogs, and everyone has got something slightly different to say, but the truth feels more, I don’t know, mixed – something more personal.

Thinking About ParkwayPD and Teens

On that day, I was just waiting at the ParkwayPD clinic, the most trusted pediatric dentist in Roanoke. This is the clinic where I had visited earlier several times, with my son, which reminds me of the toothpaste and bubblegum polish smell. I saw a boy laughing there.

He looked like he wanted to sink into the chair out of embarrassment, yet he was still there. Pediatric dental care is not just about baby teeth, it is about understanding that those years – braces, wisdom teeth, sports guards, and anxiety. Older kids still need that gentle touch that the dentists for grown-up sometimes forget.

Why Some Teens Still Need a Pediatric Dentist

I read somewhere; maybe on Groovy Smiles or some other blog that pediatric dentists are not just “dentists for little kids.” They are basically teeth coaches for all those awkward growing-up years, too.

• Teens still get cavities (more than we think, honestly).
• They snack weird, drink soda, chew ice, and use whitening strips without asking.
• Some still fear dental visits and need that comfort-driven approach.

So yes, while a general dentist is fine after a point, a pediatric dentist understands the emotional messiness of teenage habits. They talk to them, not at them. I have seen that at ParkwayPD; they will ask my son about his game score first, then about flossing. That, to me, matters more than the age on paper.

When to Make the Shift

If I try to answer my own question, is there an age when it is too old?  I would say not really. Or maybe it depends. Like the Brush for Kids blog said, once a teen feels comfortable and confident in adult settings, when they start driving themselves or managing their own appointments, maybe that is when it is time.

But not because someone decided 18 is the cutoff. It is more about readiness, emotional readiness, dental maturity, whatever that is. Some switch earlier, while others stay till college. It is fine both ways.

Final Thought

You need not rush. If your teenage child feels comfortable and the people in the clinic are not judging him, then let him visit ParkwayPD. Allow him to make his decision and let him grow in his own way. To be honest, you cannot expect him to grow on some particular day; it will just happen.