Calming Your Child’s Dental Fears

January 23, 2012 | Categories: Children

Through a child’s eyes, the dentist’s office can be a scary place full of odd sounds, strange tools and unfamiliar people.  But there are ways to make each dental visit a positive experience for your child—guiding them to a lifetime of strong, healthy teeth.

If the parent stays calm, then the child will usually also be relaxed. To help the visit go well:

• Start Early: many dentists recommend seeing the dentist by age two. If children start visiting the dentist at an early age, the experience becomes familiar so they are less likely to have fear.
• Ask why: ask your child why they are afraid of the dentist to help you better understand how to solve the problem.
• Schedule a morning appointment: when children are well-rested, the appointment often goes smoother.
• Bedtime stories: an easy way to prepare kids for their first visit is to read books that explain the dental visit in a relaxed, fun, informative way.
• Take them with you: if you are going to the dentist, take your child with you to observe how visiting the dentist is not frightening. First make sure this is acceptable with your dentist.
• Stay positive: share with your child upbeat experiences you have had with dentists–how friendly, kind and helpful they are. Avoid sharing anything negative.
• Educate: make sure your child knows the importance of going the dentist to keep teeth and gums healthy and how it is the dentist’s job to help and not to hurt them.

If children start frequenting the dentist at a young age, they are less likely to need extensive dental work later on and will start a habit of good oral hygiene.