Chapter of Paediatric Dentists

Paediatric dentists are dentists who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of oral and dental conditions for the young. They provide both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral healthcare for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs.

Paediatric dentists manage the following groups of patients:

1. Children who are too young to cooperate, or who are fearful and anxious of dental treatment.
2. Medically, developmentally compromised and disabled children (eg. heart conditions, cerebral palsy, autism, etc).
3. Children with early childhood caries.
4. Children who need extensive dental treatment (eg pulp treatment, crowns and multiple extractions).
5. Children who need dental treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia.
6. Children who sustain crack, fracture, loosening or loss of their baby and adult teeth as a result of trauma.
7. Infants for oral health examination and preventive advice.
8. Children with issues on the growth and development of their teeth and jaws.

Paediatric dentistry is one of the dental specialties recognised by the Singapore Dental Council (SDC). After acquiring a basic dental degree and working a few years in general dentistry, a paediatric dentist must complete a 3 year full time paediatric dentistry postgraduate programme at an accredited dental school to attain a SDC-recognised basic specialist qualification. Following that, a minimum of 2 years of clinical training in paediatric dentistry and successful completion of the specialist exit assessment is required before he/she can be accredited the specialist status by the Singapore Dental Council.

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