dentist

When my toddler developed an unexplained fear of going to the dentist, I made her upcoming appointment with a specialty pediatric dentist hoping to quell her anxiety. Over the next two years, we tried three different dentists. One required me to physically restrain my daughter while her mouth was pried open. Another was so patient that my daughter sat with mouth firmly closed for more than an hour while multiple people tried to coax her to show her teeth. I wanted my daughter to develop healthy dental habits and didn’t want her early fears to continue into adulthood. Because the American Dental Association recommends that children visit the dentist about six months after their first tooth appears or by 4 years old, it’s natural that so many of kids experience a lot of emotions and fears about the newness of the dentist’s office. Here are five ways to combat some of the top fears children may experience before or during a dental visit. Practice at Home Young children are often afraid of the unexpected. A dentist’s office is full of unfamiliar sights and sounds, and then a stranger begins poking around the inside of their mouth. Before an appointment, tell your child what the office is like and why it’s important to have their teeth cleaned. Then, let them practice with dolls and stuffies, or even parents and siblings. For some children, it helps to watch a parent or family member at an appointment first so they know what to expect, while for others, the strange sounds at an adult dentist’s office can be frightening. Consider what might be most beneficial to your child. Learn About Teeth Sometimes fear comes from something new, of not knowing what to expect. Read books about going to the dentist or watch videos made for children that explain what to expect. Favorite characters like Bluey, Elmo and Mickey feature special episodes about dental visits. Distract ‘Em Bringing a toy, book or digital device to an appointment can shift a nervous child’s attention to something happier. Some pediatric offices provide such devices and distractions, such as tablets for kids to watch during their appointment or screens above the chairs featuring a show of the child’s selection. Explore Your Own Fears Kids are very perceptive. If a parent is afraid of the dentist, there’s a greater chance their children will pick up on this anxiety. If it’s not possible to hide the fear, consider asking another adult to take kids to the appointment. Or share these fears with the office staff beforehand so they can anticipate a nervous child. For adults afraid of the dentist, consider sharing dental information with your child from other sources versus personal experience, so the same fears aren’t unwittingly transferred. Be Patient For many children, a dental fear may only be temporary. Don’t delay or avoid visits to the dentist, but try to address these fears as they arise. After two years of seeking the right pediatric dentist for my daughter, we returned to the original “adult” dentist where she had first shown signs of anxiety. As it turns out, it was also a place of comfort. She sat on my lap for the first short check-up, and by the next appointment, she was fine sitting on her own with me nearby. As children develop their own sense of independence and understanding of the world, many of them will naturally outgrow these fears over time. My daughter, now a teenager, has no recollection of the drama around her dental challenges that concerned me so much when she was little.

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