Fear not….We have got you covered
Do you want them to willingly want to go to the dentist?
It is completely possible, if we know how.
First, let us share some facts, according to a study conducted, 35% of children are scared of the dentist despite not having been to one before! Imagine that.
Fear is completely normal, especially in childhood. Whether it’s the monster in the closet or the dark, or even the dentist; according to the child’s age, they need to be guided through this process diplomatically. The trick would be to not deny them their fear, help them through it to overcome it, makes sense?
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Here is another fact to share dental phobia and dental anxiety is quiet common in the adult world as well, with one study claiming up to 75% of adults hating to go to the dentist and 25% of them would not go even if it meant them tolerating pain for a period of time. Do you suffer from anxiety from going to the dentist too? It is common for parents to pass their fear to their children so be careful!
The main problem is when the child refuses to go to the dentist is that then he is deprived of the dental care he needs. In the meantime, the dental situation is getting severe, and the care he needs is getting more complicated.
A child’s first dental appointment can be the best experience ever if both parents and dentist are intending for it to be positive. Any anxiety displayed by parents will be picked up by the child. And, an unfriendly dentist will cause unnecessary fear in your child.
Here are 5 tips to help your child overcome this unnecessary fear from the dentist:
Take your child to the right dentist who understands your child’s needs.
Pediatric Dentists are highly qualified to see children as they are experts in children’s psychology.
On top of that, their dental clinic is super kid friendly and is full of entertainment and toys. My office certainly is. I also have every cartoon under the sun the child can come up with and many toys for every occasion.
If that is not enough, and I get a particularly tech savvy kid, I have virtual reality again loaded with everyone’s favorite cartoon. The trick is to make the child feel comfortable and at home.
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Story telling:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoOvDc0nMk0/?taken-by=dryasminkottait
Tell stories about going to meet the dentist. Narrate these stories daily if you can. Show the child what does the dentist look like.
I usually ask mothers to show my instagram page which is full of other children who are beaming and happy post treatment! Also, be mindful not to use negative language to describe the dentist or the office.
Tell your kid about the visits limiting the amount of details given. Answer any questions simply, to-the-point answers. Let the dentist answer detailed questions. Dentists for Children are trained to describe things to children in a nonthreatening way and in easy-to-understand language. We wont be using words like “hurt” or “shot” or “painful.”
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Trust:
My take is trust is everything. I always collaborate with parents to work on trust first before working on teeth. I honestly believe, a child’s psychology comes first before a healthy tooth!
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Reward not bribe:
I always advise parents to reward good behavior not bribe for it. Bribery unfortunately does not work well. However, children expect to know their boundaries and how to score and how to behave. I always suggest to parents to negotiate a reward post visit only in the condition that: the child does the expected behavior from him. This works like magic!
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Involve and Educate:
Involve your child in his own health care and take the time to explain the why! It is so important to make the child aware of the “sugar monsters” aka cavities in his mouth. This will give him the added responsibility to help in and take them out! Educate your child about the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums and stress that the dentist is a friendly doctor whose job it is to help do this.
If all this did not work, don’t worry your Pedi dentist will be able to exercise the charm and the magic to make sure your child is at ease during the consultation.
If everything fails, most dentist for kids have the laughing gas which is a form of sedation that makes the child happy and relaxed during the procedure.
To a lifetime of healthy happy smiles!
If you have any queries, please feel free to ask one of our specialist pediatric dentist in Dubai. We’d like to help in any way possible.
