It is a familiar struggle in many homes, when the time comes round for the youngsters of the family to have their dental health check-up. No matter how upbeat you try to be, some youngsters will become almost hysterical about seeing the dentist. For the good of their life long dental heath it is important that children are helped to get over any fear they have, of sitting in the dentist’s chair.
Making sure that they feel comfortable will help build a child’s positive association around the dentist and help them go forward to keep their teeth and mouth healthy for life.
If you are someone who is fearful of the dentist it is easy to pass that fear on to your children. Pay attention to how you talk about the dentist and the appointment and be sure that you are not passing on any negativity to your child. If you tell your child how you feel and how frightened you are they will believe that there is something to be afraid of. Stay positive and encouraging.
It is a great idea to start visiting the dentist early, even as soon as their first tooth comes through to get them used to going to the surgery, because at first there should be nothing to be done. Going for regular routine check-ups will get your child used to the dental surgery and they will grow up trusting their dentist. Your child should see the dentist’s surgery as a normal place to go where they feel comfortable.
Play dentist, with the child being the dentist and “checking” your teeth. Look for children’s books about visits the dentist that show what happens in a way that is entertaining.
You might think that is will be easier to leave telling your child that they are going to the dentist till the last minute but this can actually be more traumatic than giving them time to get used to the idea. You might also erode your child’s trust if they think you have kept the information from them.
Make sure that if your child does ask any questions you are honest about the answers. Try not to say things like “You’ll be fine” rather tell them what will happen in a positive way that they can understand. You could say that the dentist wants to check how well they have brushed their teeth or that the dentist wants to check how many teeth they actually have.
Going to a dental office that has paediatric dental professionals is a great idea. Family dental professionals are specially trained and experienced with youngsters and often have brightly coloured surgeries to appeal to children.
If you have a child who is nervous about coming to the dentist then visit Confidential Dental Clinic where our experienced staff will put you and your child at ease.