Aging Gracefully and with Great Health

Tips To Help Your Child Overcome Fear Of The Dentist

6 November 2014 by For Content

Pediatric dentistry is an important part of your child's health; however, children naturally have a fear of going to the dentist due to being unfamiliar with the surroundings and being intimidated by all of the tools and sounds that they may hear. Perhaps the issue that children fear the most is the dentist using many different tools to examine their mouth while wearing the all-too-familiar face mask.

There are many ways that you can help your child overcome their fear of going to the dentist. Consider making note of the following tips in order to not only help your child overcome their fear, but to make sure that they get the proper pediatric dentistry care that they need.

The Younger, The Better

The younger you begin your child's pediatric dentist visits, the better. Your child may be a little scared and intimidated at first, but in the end, it will help them become more familiar with the surroundings, as well as the dentist themselves.

Your child will then become aware that visiting the dentist is a good thing because the dentist gets rid of any problems with their mouth and helps them feel better, similar to how the doctor will help them get rid of a cold or sore throat.

Avoid Including Too Many Details

Keeping the subject of a dentist visit short and sweet is the best way to not let your child become too afraid of the visit. If you include too many details, that could lead to your child asking more and more questions.

The best thing you can do is maintain a positive attitude about your child's dentist visit, which, in turn, will help keep them positive as well. However, one thing you will want to avoid telling your child is that everything will be fine, because depending on any issues that the dentist may find, that may not be the case.

Furthermore, if your child has to have a procedure done such as having a tooth removed or getting a filling, avoid using the words "shot," "hurt," or "pain," as these can make your child even more nervous. Instead, consider telling your child that the dentist will simply look at their teeth, count them, and look at their smile.

Play "Dentist" With Your Child

One extremely useful tip to consider helping your child get over any fear of the dentist is to play a game of "dentist" with them. Your child could be the patient and you could be the doctor, or vice versa. Use a toothbrush to count your child's teeth, and you could even use a mirror to show your child how the dentist will look at their teeth and check their smile.

You may even wish to have your child use the toothbrush to brush the teeth of their favorite stuffed animal or doll. In the end, the goal will be to help your child alleviate their fear of the dentist.

These are a select few of the many things you can do to help your child overcome their fear of the dentist and ensure that they get the proper pediatric dentistry care that they will need. For more help, speak with an expert at a company like Pediatric Dentistry Of Onalaska LLC for more help.

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