Is your child afraid of dental visits? If we want our children to be healthy, keeping their teeth clean and cavity-free is an important part of that. However, dental visits can be challenging if your child gets anxiety at the very mention of a dental appointment.
Going to the dentist need not be inherently scary. However, most kids don’t like being told to sit still, and sitting in a big chair and being tipped backward with a bright light shining in their face is enough to make most kids squeamish and even induce tears!
So how can we help them calm those fears and even look forward to a dental visit? Here are a few helpful tips to help your child’s next dental visit go a little more smoothly.
Have the First Dental Appointment Early
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, an excellent way to minimize anxiety for children is to start regular dental visits before a problem like a cavity develops. To support this recommendation, our Beaverton dental office offers FREE dental visits to children under 3 years old.
These brief, simple visits are a chance for Dr. Shafer and the Good Life Team to help your child get used to the idea of seeing a dentist. It also helps to minimize the chance of cavities forming early on. Finding cavities early means shorter appointments and fewer dental bills. Getting your child accustomed to regular visits can really help avoid complex and expensive treatments later.
Stay Close During Your Child’s Dental Visits
Whenever going through a new or frightening experience, it can help to have a parent nearby with a hand to hold and a soothing voice. At times we even allow the child to sit on a parent’s lap during some parts of the appointment. This can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of the visit.
Your child will probably find the sound of your voice soothing and it may help to distract them from the dental work. However, many dentists recommend allowing the dentist to make small talk with the child during the appointment, as this will help them to develop trust and make future appointments easier. However, don’t be tempted to start asking the dentist questions yourself during the appointment. Save those for afterwards so the dentist can focus on your child.
Schedule Appointments with One Hygienist
It might go without saying, but the dental hygienist is the one who does most of the work during a dental cleaning visit. Therefore, for each of the tips suggested above, the hygienist applies as well. It is important to help your child build familiarity with their dental hygienist. The best way to do this is to ensure they have the same dental hygienist each time, and let them get to know their hygienist ahead of time so they feel more comfortable when the time comes for their dental appointment.
Provide Distractions, Set Aside Your Fear, and Provide Information
Our Beaverton dental office provides an overhead TV to play kid-friendly shows or movies to keep children distracted during their appointments. A little Disney+ goes a long way. In other cases, you may be able to allow your child to wear headphones or earbuds to listen to their favorite music.
Your child can sense if you are afraid or concerned, and it will be reflected in the way they feel. If you are showing any trepidation or misgivings about seeing the dentist at all, your child will likely pick up on those fears and magnify them. Avoid scary words like “pain,” “afraid,” or “worry,” to help your child not fear dental appointments and even look forward to them.
Hopefully these tips will help make a difference in the way your child thinks about and experiences dental appointments for years to come! Our hope is that early intervention and regular appointments lead to a positive relationship both with their dentist and dental hygienist, and dental care altogether.