How To Make a Trip To The Dentist Easy For Your Child

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From a kid’s perspective, visiting to a dentist can be daunting. Just imagine what they see for the first few times. Having to lie on a chair in an unfamiliar room surrounded by unfamiliar tools and hearing unfamiliar noises with a person standing over you sticking cold, metallic instruments in your mouth.

It’s not a fun trip; and if your kids don’t like it, you’re the one who will have a hard time. Not only by having to deal with the reactions that these visits get but also the consequences that could happen if you don’t take your kids to the dentist regularly. 

So what do you do as a parent? It’s never easy to deal with something like this but we hope that the tips we outline below will make the process easier.

• Get a paediatric dentist first

If your dentist isn’t specialized in treating kids and adults, then you may have a harder time. A paediatric dentist is a must if you’re just getting your kids started on dental health. These dentists have spent two to three extra years of dental training in order to manage young patients who have dentist phobia. Their offices are also designed to be kid friendly and are accompanied by other things such as kid’s shows playing at the waiting room or stuffed animals to calm the nerves.

• Give them a touch of comfort

During the check-ups, have them hold your hand or if the dentist permits it, let your child sit on your lap while their teeth is getting examined. This can make a big difference in your child’s comfort level. Some of the best emergency dentist in Brisbane like Albany Dental encourages this since it’s an effective anxiety reliever and remedies the problem faster.

• Take them to the dentist while they’re young

Your child will never rid of dentist fear unless they deal with it; so the soonest that they do, the better. A child as young as age 1 is already good since this is when the first tooth is visible. 

• Get them acquainted with the dentist first

You can arrange for a meet and greet between your child and dentist the day before the actual check-up. This will put them at ease since they are familiar with the staff, the surroundings, and the nature of the check-up. Your kid will know what to expect making the trip to the dentist the next day a smoother one. Your dentist may also need to brief your child on dental emergency tips for children so they know what to expect during emergencies.

• Take advantage of distractions

Most dental clinics will have kid’s shows playing on the office TV. This reduces the anxiety your child might feel prior to the appointment. Or better yet, have your child pop in the ear buds so they can listen to their favourite music or audio book. This puts them at a different place while the dentist is doing the procedure.

• Let your dentist do the talking

Sometimes, all that pep talk that you do while the dental procedure is going on, might just cause your child to feel even more anxious. Instead, let the dentist do his job. Not only is it better when the child hears assuring words from the mouth of the person who is operating on him but it allows the dentist to build rapport with your child. This is important especially if you’re planning to do business with the dentist long term.

Take advantage of these strategies and you should soon see a difference in the way your child reacts when they know you will go to another dentist visit soon.

What other strategies would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.

This article is published in partnership with Mediabuzzer