Ways to Prepare Your Child for Dentist

I am a dentist by Profession but I know for a fact that dental fear exists in all of us from childhood. There are a lot of studies that indicate that the fear originated from the temperament of the doctor. If for example the doctor has an impersonal and uncaring attitude or seems to be disinterested and therefore distant then the doctor will invoke a feeling of fear even if there are no painful memories attached to the doctor. [Explore: Right Dental Care for Newborn Baby]

Dentist Fear in Children

On the other hand despite having painful experiences some children might not have the fear of going to the dentist simply because the dentist that they went to was warm and caring. Dental fear in a child may also develop by association; for example, if the child had a traumatic experience with a doctor or a hospital then he/she might develop a fear of white coats and antiseptic smells. 

Ways to Prepare Your Child for Dentist

How Can We Help As Parents? Following are my suggestions to help your child to overcome dentist fear in children. Know ways to prepare your child for a smooth dentist visit... 

• Time Your child’s first visit to the dentist: According to the Academy of General Dentistry, it is suggested that a child's first introduction to the dentist should occur before their first birthday or six months after his/her first tooth erupts.
• Be a great role model: A parent plays a very important part in the initiation of the child to the dentist as a role model. Often if the parent is nervous/apprehensive about visiting the dentist this nervousness will transmit to the children.
• Don’t make a big deal of it: Parents can help from the outset, encouraging their children to view a visit to the dentist as a healthy positive activity.
• Pre Plan the visits: Regular dental checkup should be encouraged as a normal activity right from the start.

Follow these simple suggestions, which will help prepare you and your child for the best possible experience with the dentist.

• Try and find your child a dentist who is sensitive, caring but mostly patient with the child.
• Parents should talk encouragingly and positively about the visit using non-threatening vocabulary.
• Discourage promising rewards for going to the dentist.
• Discourage child tantrums and unreasonable demands, but if the child wants to carry his favorite toy for comfort, let him carry it.
• Try not to use alarming words like shots, painful and hurt.
• In some cases, the dentist might like to use sedation to help the child relax and be more comfortable. The two most common types are oral sedation and nitrous oxide commonly known as laughing gas. Explain to the child why that is being done and reassure him /her.
• The parent should only be a casual observer and only participate in the conversation when asked. Remember your child can only listen to one person at a time. 

Look How Can the Doctor Help?

The best way to deal in all cases whether child or adult is to use the ' show, tell and do’ technique. [Explore: Bad Breath Causes & Prevention in Children]

When the child sits on the chair, the dentist can hold the hand of the patient to reassure him or her. Fear of the unknown is there amongst all of us, so showing and explaining the patient what you will be doing before taking them by surprise is always better and believe me, it works most of the time.

Our children are very intelligent and we should not underestimate that logic will definitely prevail most of the time.