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How to Ease Your Child’s Fear of the Dentist

Published on Sep 01 by Daniel Guidera under Dentistry, Kids

Admittedly, a trip to the dentist can be scary.

All those sharp and shiny instruments, people you don’t know, and unfamiliar smells and tastes can make for a fearful experience, especially for your little ones.

There are a few ways to help alleviate the fears that come with anxious pint-sized dental patients.

(Your) Attitude Is Everything

It all starts with your attitude. Your kids can read you like a book.

If you’re anxious about they’re trip to the dentist, they’ll think there’s a reason to be anxious. Try not to project your own fear of the dentist onto your babies.

I know it’s hard, but everyone goes to the dentist and everyone comes out just fine.

Your kiddos probably even get a toy at the end! It may be bribery, but a well-behaved and calm kid at the dentist deserves to be rewarded.

Facilitating The First Visit

The best way to ease fears of the dentist is to never cultivate them in the first place. If your kids are still young enough where they haven’t yet been to see a dentist, make sure their first experience is the best it can possibly be.

Do your research, talk to other parents, and call the doctor’s office ahead of time.

Does your child handle new experiences with optimism and curiosity or skepticism and reservation?

If your child is curious, ask your dentist to explain to your child what all the tools are for.  If your child is more cautious and takes convincing to warm up to someone, let your dentist and hygienist know that.

Give them something they can give directly to your child like a small toy or a sticker. Tell them your kid loves dogs or wants to be a firefighter or is currently obsessed with Spiderman. If the adults can help you make your child feel at ease, they may even enjoy visits to the dentist.

Don’t wait until there is a problem for your child’s first visit to the dentist.

They’ll associate pain or discomfort with the man with the pointy objects and the next time you say “dentist” they’ll cringe in fear.

Unless there is something you’re concerned about, age three is the best time to start bringing them in.

Starting good oral hygiene early will get your child started on the right path to having positive dentist experiences in the future.

Existing Anxious Patients

If you’ve already got a kid that goes to the dentist regularly and they are nervous about their next visit, ask them why. Did it hurt the last time they had a cleaning? Do their teeth hurt now and they’re afraid of what might happen at their next visit?

Be sure to let your dental staff know if your child is experiencing pain, fear, or discomfort or you run the risk of compounding those emotions if the staff isn’t sympathetic to these feelings.

The dentist doesn’t have to be a scary place for your little ones. With a few creative maneuvers and changing the way you both look at a trip to the dentist, you can even eliminate their fears completely.

If you find the right dentist, they may even ask you when they get to come back!


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