3 Tips To Help Your Child Become Comfortable At The Dentist
Getting your child to the dentist can be a nightmare, but it's imperative that they practice proper dental hygiene. Unfortunately, this is something that takes time, and you need to take baby steps to help them become more comfortable visiting the dentist To help alleviate your child's fears, consider implementing the three tips below:
Help Your Kid Stay Calm
The vast majority of kids are afraid of the dentist and it's important that you address this issue as soon as possible to ensure it doesn't stay with them into their teenage years. The best way to do this is to educate them from a young age. Make sure your son or daughter understands the importance of dental hygiene and how avoiding dental treatment will have consequences down the line.
Of course, you don't want to come across too serious when teaching your children about dental hygiene or you risk scaring them even more. Rather, you should adopt a playful tone and try to make dental care fun. Whether it's brushing your teeth with your child or buying some child-specific dental equipment, try and make their routine as fun as possible.
Visit the Dentist Before an Appointment
One of the biggest things children are scared about with regards to the dentist's office is that dental treatment may be painful. Their vivid imagination leads them to believe that there's a big, bad dentist waiting to get them in the chair so they can use their high-powered drill on their teeth.
Unfortunately, explaining to your kid that this isn't the case probably won't suffice, so it's important to let your child meet with the dentist well before they have an appointment. Dentists fully understand that children are scared of sitting in the chair and are experienced in handling these fears. As such, make sure you schedule in an introduction before booking any future appointments.
Speak to Your Dentist About Gentle Dentistry
Gone are the days where drills and injections were the only dental treatments available. Dental technology is always being modernized and one of the focuses is on designing technology to be as gentle as possible. Developments such as needle-free numbing agents and tooth-colored composites ensure that treatments are as non-invasive as possible, which can alleviate any concerns your child may have.
Many dentists, like Olson, Brant N DDS PA, actively seek to use these methods where possible, so have a chat with your child's practitioner to see what options are available.