Your child’s first experience of anything can be one that you have to prepare for and nothing is worth preparing more for than a dental appointment. Even for many adults, the fear of going to the dentist is one that can, for some, be too much to deal with.
In order to give your child or children the best chance of looking after their dental care, it’s good to set them up by getting them into the dental chair sooner rather than later.
Helping your children with this key healthcare appointment is important, so here are some top tips.
Play dentist when they’re young
There are plenty of opportunities for play when your children are young and this can be well utilized when it comes to teaching them new things. From important life lessons to introductions to the dentist, play is a great way to help ease them into future events and activities in life.
Playing the dentist is a good way in order to get them used to the environment and idea of the dentist inspecting their mouth. It means that when it comes to dentist trips in the near future, they’ll be less concerned or nervous.
Shop around for the right dentist
When it comes to a dentist, you want to have the right person that you feel comfortable with. After all, they are the person who’ll be inspecting your teeth up close and personal. It’s therefore important to choose someone you feel at ease with and more importantly, feel at ease with when it comes to your children’s mouths.
Take a look at other dentists in the area and consider which ones are going to be the best option for you and your family. You might want to look at reviews and previous client testimonials that share their experiences with the dental practice. A dental practice like https://aadentalcareva.com/ballston-dentist/ is a great one for those looking for a family-friendly option.
Introduce them to the dental practice as a ‘dry run’
In order to ease in your child or children into the dental practice, it might be worth doing a bit of a dry run ahead of time. This can be something you organize with the practice whereby you come in, speak to the receptionist, and take a walk around the practice.
It might be something just as the practice is opening for the day or just before they’re due to close. It can help your child to familiarize themselves with the smells and sights that are common with the dentist itself. With this done, they will likely feel a lot more confident in attending the dentist for the first time.
Attend as a family for support
There’s nothing more encouraging when you’ve got support around you, and going to the dentist is no different. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to look at attending the dentist as a family. Whether or not they’re getting their teeth looked at too is another matter but it might be worth booking everyone in so that there’s plenty of support for those who feel a little nervous.
Not only that but by booking everyone in, you don’t need to worry about remembering appointments for other family members.
Schedule an appointment in the morning
Look to schedule an appointment in the morning, rather than doing it later on in the day. The reason for this is that your child or children will therefore only need to worry a little about the upcoming appointment, rather than having to stew on those anxious thoughts all day.
To keep anxiety levels down, try to book for an early morning appointment. That way, your child or children will be able to get the appointment out of the way so that they can continue to enjoy the rest of their day as a result.
Be positive
When it comes to the dentist, it’s not enjoyable for everyone. For some, it might be something that they don’t look forward to much and that’s understandable. However, as a parent, it’s important that you remain positive and encouraging when taking your child to the dentist.
Stay positive, even during those times when the child might not be looking forward to the dental appointment. Perhaps they’re having braces put in or having a tooth taken out. These can be quite daunting appointments, so having a positive light to help guide them through it, is certainly worthwhile.
Don’t show them any of your own fears
For most, going to the dentist is manageable. However, for some people, the thought of visiting the dentist is terrifying and it’s a fear that doesn’t go away once the child becomes an adult.
Of course, there’s no way of guaranteeing a child won’t be fearful of visiting the dentist. However, by taking them from an early age and not showing any fear yourself, you’re more likely to have a more productive experience for your kids.
Try to set your fears aside, if you don’t enjoy going to the dentist. It’s also worthwhile to keep your appointments separate if you’re nervous at the dentist. The last thing you want is to be putting any fear in them and making your child feel worried about going when they didn’t fear it before.
Plan a treat
Finally, to make visiting the dentist a more enjoyable experience, it’s worthwhile planning a treat.
You might not want to do this every time as it can often become an extra expense that you might not be able to afford. However, for big dentist appointments such as having a tooth removed or an injection into the gum, organize a treatment day ahead of time.
It could be a trip to the cinema for example, or purchasing something that they’ve wanted for a long time. It’s a great incentive to get them into the dentist’s chair.
Recap: Children’s First Dental Appointment
These tips can help you encourage your child about their first dental appointment. It makes it a little less scary and helps them understand what to expect. Do you have any other tips to add? Leave a comment and let us know. 🙂
