Pediatrician for Teenagers in Frisco, TX

Many people associate pediatric care with coverage for young children, infants, and babies, but a pediatrician can and should provide care to older adolescents too. Given that there are varying definitions of when adulthood begins and when adolescence ends, some parents may be confused about what age exactly a teenager should see a pediatrician. The end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood is a vague and difficult to quantify distinction, as it happens differently for everyone.
 
Once a teenager becomes a legal adult at the age of 18, they can visit a primary care physician, but that doesn’t mean they must stop seeing a pediatrician just then. When it comes time to find a primary care physician for the child, the parents would do well to seek a referral from their pediatrician. Depending on insurance policies, a pediatrician can continue to care for a teenager until the age of 19, and in some cases, 21.
 
The truth is that it is very important for teenagers, especially younger ones, to continue to see a pediatrician. In addition to the regular health checkups, teenagers navigating puberty will have plenty of questions and concerns they may be uncomfortable raising elsewhere. These can range from developmental questions to questions or concerns about sexual activity, and drug and alcohol use. 

Pediatricians will still ask teenagers many of the routine questions associated with their overall health and well-being similar to those they have asked throughout their younger years. However, when a teenager reaches a certain age, the pediatrician will want to speak privately with them to ensure the presence of a parent doesn’t discourage the teenager from sharing what they may consider more sensitive information.
 
During the confidential questions, pediatricians ask teenagers about how they are doing in school, eating behaviors, their mental health, sexual activity, hobbies, interests, and preferred activities, drug and alcohol use, and their relationships with friends, families, and potential romantic partners.
 
Parents should speak with their children and assure them of the confidentiality of their answers and promote total openness so they can receive the most thorough and efficient care possible.

There are many great reasons for a teenager to continue to see a pediatrician; chief among those is to experience continuity of care. A pediatrician who has cared for a child since infancy will be able to observe the subtleties of growth, development, and changes that could be overlooked by the less trained eye.
 
This continuity of care can also make a teenager more comfortable with asking potentially difficult questions that they may be nervous about asking a new primary care physician with whom they have no prior relationship. By having a trusted and reliable pediatrician who has treated the teenager their entire life, they may be more open to discussing pubescent developments, sexual activity, substance use, or lifestyle changes often associated with the teenage years and learn imperative information they may not receive in a more reserved situation.
 
For many individuals, their teenage years and pubescent changes are among the most confusing, significant, and formative in their lives. Therefore, their caregiver must be a trusted confidant. When the time comes for a teenager to move on to receive care from a primary care physician, receiving a referral through their pediatrician would be prudent to maximize the two-way benefits of continuity of care.
 
For patients in Frisco, TX, Dr. Sree, MD, at Pediatric Associates of Frisco, offers the finest pediatric care from newborns through teen years. Reach out to us today through our website so that we can help keep your family’s health in full check year-round. We are conveniently located at 9191 Kyser Way, Suite 500, Frisco, TX 75033. For more information, please Contact us or request an appointment online. We serve patients from Frisco TX, Little Elm TX, The Colony TX, McKinney TX, Prosper TX, Aubrey TX, Oak Point TX, Lakewood Village TX, Plano TX, and Dallas TX.