Going to the dentist is very important for your child’s health. Not only will the routine cleanings and exams help to minimize the risk of decay, but those visits will also make it easier for your kids if they need emergency or cosmetic dental work after an injury. Good oral health in childhood is also a proven indicator of future overall wellness.
Of course, getting kids to go to the dentist is sometimes like…well, pulling teeth! The key is to start preparing them early so that they are comfortable with what happens. Here are seven ways to make those visits easier on everybody.
Select a Great Pediatric Dentist
The dental needs of kids are not just a smaller version of those of adults. Kids’ oral health and the chairside manner to provide it are very different, so locate a good children’s dentist in Colfax who is accepting new patients and presents the right kind of atmosphere for a positive experience.
Once you’ve chosen a dentist, go for a visit–no exam required! Let your child look around, meet people, and get familiar with the building and the area. You’d be surprised how much more comfortable kids are with a place they see more frequently.
Talk About Your Own Teeth
Of course, before you can talk about your personal experience with the dentist, you better have some! Make sure your kids know about your dental appointments. Consider having them tag along so that they can see it’s not such a big deal. (Make sure you’re brushing and flossing properly so that actually isn’t a big deal!)
Kids love to imitate what older family members do, so set an example of comfort and confidence. If you act nervous or uncertain before you go to the dentist yourself, at least don’t let your kids see it!
Start Young
When does a child need to see a dentist? Almost as soon as he or she has teeth! Kids as young as a year old should be seeing the dentist, sooner if it’s been at least six months since the first tooth arrived.
This all goes back to familiarity. Do you remember your first trip to the grocery store? Probably not, because you were probably very young when you started going. That’s why you grew up without a fear of automatic doors and the “boop” of the register. Think the same way about taking your child to the dentist!
Have Some “Dental-tainment”
Kids also get familiar with things by playing with toys and watching videos about them. It’s certainly true of pediatric dentistry! Go online and find some cartoons or other fun videos about going to the dentist. Read books and play with toys that help them see dental care in a positive light. A little “dental-tainment” can go a long way toward making those visits a positive experience!
Have a Practice Run at Home
It’s not every day that you rock way back in a chair, open wide, and have a bright light shined in your face while somebody pokes around in your mouth with gloved hands holding weird tools. It kind of creeps us out just saying that!
Build familiarity and comfort by having your child settle into a comfortable chair and lean it way back. Get a bright flashlight or lamp and put it right overhead, then use your child’s toothbrush to “examine” his or her teeth. When you finish, trade places and let your child be the dentist. They’ll find that what happens at their real exam won’t be much different!
Schedule the Appointment Wisely
Once you’ve scheduled the appointment, make your day work well. Don’t expect a little one to roll out of bed at 7:30 and go straight to the dentist. You wouldn’t like that, and neither will they. If your child has a good daily routine, choose a time that is after nap time and mealtime so that nobody is cranky from hunger or fatigue (unless it’s you). Give yourself and your child a chance to start the visit on a positive note instead of with the baggage of doing it at a bad time of the day.
Send a Dental Buddy Along!
Kids always do better in a stressful situation when they have something tangible to help them ease their worries. A favorite toy, stuffed animal, or blanket makes the process much easier. Maybe the blanket is why Linus did so well with his teeth despite sucking his thumb!
The item will also be a helpful conversation starter for the pediatric dentistry staff. “Hey, I love your bear! When did you visit the mountains?” It’s so much easier for your child to go to the dentist when there’s something to talk about besides going to the dentist. It’s probably a good move to use something that your child plays with all the time. If you get a “dentist visit” toy, your child will associate it with the anxiety of exams. Instead, take a familiar item that your child enjoys every day.
Pediatric dentistry is an important health care need for your child. The more you can do make those visits stress-free, the more you’ll do for his or her overall health. Take some time to prepare for each trip to the dentist, starting well in advance of the appointment date, so that your child will come out with a smile that’s clean and happy!
