The first time your child goes to the dentist can be quite unsettling for them. It’s an unfamiliar environment where an unfamiliar person is examining their teeth. To make them more comfortable, this is how you can prepare them.
Inform Them Early
Telling your child about going to the dentist is a far better option than keeping it a secret until right before their appointment. Notify once you’ve booked the appointment and explain what’s going to happen. You can show them picture books or educational videos about going to the dentist to help them better handle the situation. Open the floor to any questions they have. If they’re afraid of possibilities like having a tooth pulled or experiencing intense pain, explain that their appointment will be very straightforward and there’s nothing to worry about.
Keep Their Teeth Healthy
Your child’s dentist can help clean their teeth and solve any other problems, but the actual care comes down to regular brushing and flossing. Before their appointment, make sure they are brushing at least twice a day and, if their teeth are close to one another, flossing at night. This will make things far easier for their dentist, who will be glad to see that they’re taking such good care of their oral health.
Find the Right Dentist
It’s important to find a dentist who has good experience with treating children, like the experts at Silverlake Family Dental. Pediatric dentists must know how to work with young patients to get them through appointments with minimal trouble. When scouting out a dentist, ask candidates about how they handle patients getting upset. The best answers will be ones that are sympathetic but also find real solutions. Ideally, it won’t reach the point that your child will need to be calmed down, but this is good damage control just in case.
Don’t Try to Control Their Feelings
If you tell your child that they to be completely calm and not show any signs of fear at the dentist, it’s going to make them feel even less at ease. You can underline the importance of being on good behavior, but you should never try to dictate their emotions. Focus first on getting them through the appointment and have faith that they’ll feel calmer on subsequent visits.
Even if your child’s first dentist visit isn’t perfect, you can still feel satisfied knowing that you were able … Read the rest
Comments closed