Dentist trips are never really something that we look forward to, no matter what age we are. As adults, we are fully aware of what we are getting ourselves into when we attend a dental appointment but most of the time, kids have no idea what to expect. That doesn’t mean that taking your children to the dentist should be a scary or dreadful experience! See how you can make those trips to the dentists fun for your kids.
- Avoid using scary words. When prepping your child for their trip to the dentist, try to steer clear of intimidating terminology such as “pain,” “harm,” “hurt” or “shot.” By mentioning any of these words to your little one, you are most likely implanting dreadful expectations into their mind. Also try to avoid mentioning possible procedures that might end up occurring. Let the dentist and hygienists explain to your child the procedures as they go along – after all, they have the experience!
- Have a trial run. Before their first trip to the dentist, your child might be scared and unsure of what to expect. Try playing dentist and having your child open their mouth and counting their teeth, or even use a doll or stuffed animal to allow your child to play the role of the dentist. This will help show your child that there is nothing to be afraid of.
- Find a pediatric dentist. While your own dentist might tend to different age groups, it might not be ideal to take your child there for their first visits to the dentist. Pediatric dentists are specially trained on how to treat children and probably have a whole routine and vocabulary lined up to make your child feel at ease – not to mention, they probably have all kinds of goodies to give your child once the experience is over.
- Teach them that teeth aren’t scary. There are plenty of children’s books out there that revolve around kids and dental health; try reading them with your child in the days leading up to a dentist visit. This will help you explain the process of losing baby teeth and growing adult teeth, as well as open a dialogue about the tooth fairy! By doing this, you are exposing the fun parts of dentistry and oral health suddenly becomes something greater. This will make your child curious and inspire them to maintain healthy teeth so that the tooth fairy keeps visiting.
- Get them excited. Instead of preparing your child for the worst and telling them all of your personal experiences that could scare them, try working them up to look forward to the dentist. Take them to the store to pick out a fun toothbrush or a new flavor of mouthwash. Explain to your child that since they have been properly tending to their teeth that the dentist probably just wants to count their teeth and tell them what a great smile they have.
Follow these tips and tricks to make dentist trips more fun for your kids.