Parents – Four Simple Tricks to Ensure Your Children Don't Fear The Dentist!

It’s easy to see why visiting the dentist can be an anxiety provoking experience for little ones – many grownups feel the same way! However, as a parent alleviating your child’s negative associations with visiting the dentist will help set them up for a future of strong and healthy teeth.

Start Early
Familiarizing your child with the space, people, and activities that will be part of a dental visit can help them feel more at ease. At home, start routine teeth brushing before your baby’s teeth have even erupted. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit when teeth first start to appear or by a child’s first birthday. Prior to the visit, stop by the dentist’s office so your child can meet the staff and look around.

Practice Makes Perfect
A great way to help your child prepare for his or her first dental visit is by “practicing” at home. First, you can play the part of the dentist and brush and count their teeth. Then, allow them to play doctor to a stuffed animal. Reading books about visiting the dentist and good oral hygiene habits is another great way to prep your little one.

Don’t Project
A child looks to his mom, dad, and other caregivers for guidance and reassurance, so it is super important that when talking about the dentist we don’t use words that can cause fear, such as “pain” or “shot”. It is actually best to avoid discussing dental procedures at all, since doing so will spark questions that might be difficult to answer. Simply tell your child that the dentist will be checking their smile and counting their teeth – and leave the more in-depth explanations to the medical professionals. If you have a lot of anxiety about visiting the dentist yourself, you may consider asking another family member to take them to their first visit, since your child may sense your feelings of anxiety.

Make it Fun
Last but certainly not least, as with everything if it’s fun then your child will be excited and willing to participate. Visiting a pediatric dentist is the best option, since they will have fun games and other activities at the office to engage your child. Bring along your child’s favorite stuffed animal or toy that they can hold onto during their visit to help them feel more secure. While fussing and crying is probably inevitable especially at very young ages, be sure to stay calm and comforting during the visit and afterwards praise your child for how brave they were and well they behaved.

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