“The earlier you take your child to a dentist, the easier it will be for them later in life when it comes to visiting a dentist,” says Dr. Christopher Ezzat, a pediatric dentist with a gentle touch and an eye on dentistry.
A father of two children, ages 3 and 18 months, Ezzat feels he has a natural penchant for talking to them on their level so they don’t feel afraid to visit a dentist.
“Having children has gotten me to be more in tune with their mental processes and what they can and cannot handle,” says Ezzat, who gives a friendly, personal touch to each of his patients at his Valencia office. The specialist lives in Valencia with his wife Angela, their two children and their English Bulldog Sonny.
Ezzat wants to remind Santa Clarita parents that the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that all children see a pediatric dentist by the age of one or within six months of the eruption of a child’s first tooth.
“Parents need to start taking their children to a dentist at an early age to establish a dental ‘home’ for the child and get their child used to the dentist,” says Ezzat.
He says that just like adults, most children need to be seeing a dentist every six months for exams, cleanings and x-rays.
“What’s really big right now are digital x-rays. They reduce radiation significantly and viewing the results on a computer screen with the parents works great,” says Ezzat, who completed the required extra training during a two-year residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Texas, Houston, in addition to obtaining his dental degree from UCLA.
“As a specialist in my field, I’m also trained in caring for children with special needs,” says Ezzat.
When it comes to the nature of any child’s oral hygiene care, “There are so many factors that can have an impact on the health of a child’s teeth, like diet, oral hygience and genetic inheritance,” says Ezzat.
For those children who may not think going to the dentist can be fun, they will be surprised at the computer gaming room at Ezzat’s office. And if they stay regular with their brushing, flossing and visits to Ezzat, there will be no big surprises in their dental hygiene down the road.
For further information, call 661-253-9009 or visit www.valpedsdds.com or in person at 27450 Tourney Road, #200, Valencia, 91355.