Going to the dentist is one of the most common phobias. A range of ages have this type of phobia, but especially as a young child, it can feel foreign and confusing. They aren’t always able to understand why strangers are poking, drilling, or cleaning their mouths. We have some things to help your children love the dentist and not dread it.
1. Start them young.
Finding a dentist for your child before they are at the age they need to go to is essential. Starting them, young will humanize their dentist and help create more of a relationship. Take them through a tour before you even set up an appointment. This gives them time to look through the office and get comfortable with the environment while they aren’t being worked on.
2. Pay attention to the way you speak about the dentist.
Not everyone loves going to the dentist. There could be a laundry list of reasons. Whether you have your anxiety or maybe you hate taking the time out of your busy life to get your appointments in. Either way, your children always listen, learn, and absorb their surroundings. So avoid negative talk and embrace positive conversations about the dentist.
3. Role-playing as a dentist.
Children love to play pretend even more when their parents participate. A good way for children to become more familiar with dentists is to positively role-play as a dentist and a patient. This will help your children feel more comfortable with someone poking around in their mouths. Explain what a dentist does, why it is good for you, and how it can be fun!
4. Avoid bribery.
Although this is a common tactic for parents because it is an easy way to encourage the dentist in the short term, it isn’t beneficial in the long term. Offering a bribe to your children implies that the dentist is not a good experience, and that’s why you are offering a bribe. Instead, praise your child for their bravery and good attitude throughout the visit.
5. Bring comfort items if needed.
We understand the importance of a child’s comfort idea and encourage you to bring their item with them if necessary. If your child isn’t connected to an object, we would encourage you to stay in the room with them then. A comforting idea, or even you being there to observe, will bring them a sense of calmness and safety. This will not only help the experience throughout, but it is an easy way to calm them down if they do not get stressed out.
Going to the dentist is essential to your life, but as a child, having strangers work around your mouth can be highly intimidating. Not only does getting your children comfortable around the dentist make your life easier, but it also helps the dentist. They want children to feel comfortable coming to it, but that starts at home. Let’s make going to the dentist an easy appointment!
