Young beautiful girl over isolated background touching mouth with hand with painful expression because of toothache or dental illness on teeth. Dentist concept.
Parenthood is all about negotiating the little quirks of your beautiful children, one on hand laughing at their little idiosyncrasies, and on the other having compassion and trying to guide them in the right direction.
Part of this involves helping to settle their worries, anxieties, and fears. Some of them may be completely unfounded and silly and should sort themselves out in due time.
For example, your child may be entirely afraid of fish, a conviction only a trip to the aquarium can solve. Or, they may be afraid of Halloween, a relatively normal reaction given how seriously people take the event. As they get older, this should dilute and become surmountable.
However, even adults retain their fear of the dentist. This isn’t to say dentists need to undergo sensitivity training or stop dressing like evil villains, rather it’s the worry of clinical judgment and distressing medical treatment that can give pause to anyone, and this usually starts in childhood.
So – if your child is scared of the dentist, it’s always healthy to take a step forward and help them get over it. In this post, we’ll discuss how to do that:
Find A Dentist That Understands
Unfortunately for them, dentists know that the visit to their clinic can be a little much, especially for those with little teeth. For this reason, they’re more than happy to help your child feel settled in advance before they bring out the dental mirrors and gloves.
With a reassuring family dentist like Smile Haus Dental, you can call ahead and make sure they understand your child’s fears, with the intention of accommodating and resolving them. They may do this by arming themselves with an arsenal of teddy bears, warm smiles and direct address, and even a lollipop if they’re lucky – sugar-free of course.
Make It A Regular, Fun Family Activity
It’s nice if you see the same dentist each time, and if the whole family visits them. This way, your little one will know that the professional is good enough for you, so they must be good enough for them, too.
Referring to them by name, such as “we’re going to see Dr. Warren!” and then hyping up an event to look forward to afterwards, perhaps a trip to food court or shopping mall later, can help soften the worry and break the chain of anxiety leading to the dental office.
Bring Some Comforts
Children tend to feel more comfortable when they have their little tokens of security around them. This might involve a blanket they love, a toy they never leave home without, or a lucky hat that helps them feel protected.
A dentist’s office will be minimally designed for hygienic purposes, and their actual operational room will be disinfected and cleaned between patients, so yes, it’s a little clinical, to use the operative team. Bringing along a couple of non-cluttered visible items of security like this can help your child feel relaxed and a little less shy.
Ultimately, it’s going to be repeated visits that help break this fear, but little boons like this can’t hurt.
With this advice, you’re sure to help your little one overcome their fear of the dentist.
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