This is no surprise why some kids are scared to go to the dentist. The waiting, the smells, and the mouthwash taste are enough to make anyone nervous. But a pediatric dental visit is quite important for good oral health, so they have to visit, so you need something to calm them down.
When children are nervous before visiting the dentist, adults might try to reassure them or give them special attention. But studies have shown that these slow and introductory techniques may be counter-productive. So, next time you have to take your kid to the dentist, try the following techniques to ease their nerves.
6 techniques to calm children before dentist visits
Here are 6 mindful tips to calm the nervous children before a dentist visit:
1- Help Them manage their Feelings and Emotions
Children can’t handle dental anxiety, fear the way we adults do. So, instead of trying to reassure them or give them special attention, teach them how to manage their emotions and feelings. Tell them it’s okay to be a little nervous. And then help them figure out why they are nervous to begin to acknowledge it and manage their emotions.
2- Stay with Them
This is a very important technique for calming the kids. Parents can stay with their children during the dental visit and distract their minds from the fear by focusing on something else (like playing an activity). So children don’t feel alone or uncomfortable. This helps kids focus on something besides their thoughts about being in the dentist’s chair.
3-Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing techniques have been shown in studies to calm the nerves of adults and children alike. Some pediatric dentists may even have guided audio recordings on hand for anxious patients who need a little help relaxing. In addition, reminding your child that this is just like any other everyday activity can also help reduce anxiety.
4- Establish a Routine of Simple Daily Activities
If your child can be calm and comfortable during normal daily activities, they will be better able to cope with the stress generated by more unusual activities such as visiting the dentist. This is because you might have to do many things in preparation for dentist visits like taking off their clothes, cleaning out their mouth with special rinses, and getting them into the uncomfortable chair. So make sure they are fine with all these things that are not too big to deal with so it will be easier when you visit the dentist.
5- Give them Snacks/treats
One of the easiest ways to calm the child before a dentist visit is to prepare for it. Babies are often calmer when eating, and so are preschoolers. So plan the meals and snacks you need to feed your kids before their dental visit.
Sheet of ice cream or popsicles can help calm a kid before going to the dentist. And make sure they have a healthy breakfast so they will be alert and energetic when you take them to the dentist. If they have no breakfast, they wouldn’t be able to eat anything, which will cause them more anxiety than anything else because they get hungry when anxiety mounts up in their minds.
6- Practice at Home
Parents might spend some time practicing the techniques at home to be easier when you visit the dentist. Because when you practice them at home and try your best to help your kids feel calm, they will get used to it in due time. And this will be a great way for them to learn how to stay calm before dentist visits.
Final thoughts
So these are a few techniques that may help you calm the kids down before dentist visits and make sure they don’t feel nervous. Also, if your kid is scared of dental visits, you need to find the right pediatric dentist that can handle them. If you are looking for a pediatric dentist in Dubai, you can consult Dr. Yasmin. We have the latest pieces of equipment and toys to make your little one’s dental visit more fun.
So, what are you waiting for? Book an appointment now!