It is recommended that children begin visiting their first dentist at age one. That being said, it’s understandable for a child to not remember such early dental visits. Therefore, your child might feel panicked before an upcoming trip to the dentist. That being said, there are tips you can follow to help calm your child before this day arrives. Considering that, here are four tips to cure your child of dental anxiety.
- Choose the Right Dentist
It’s important to choose the right first dentist for children. Considering that, it’s wise to find a dental clinic for kids. This helps to ensure that your child will be cared for by professionals that regularly care for children. An ideal first dentist for children needs to have a kind and caring demeanor. While no dentist will intentionally provide bad care for a child, there are those whose demeanor is better suited for the young ones. With that in mind, make sure that your child’s pediatric dental care experiences take place at a dentist for children. - Practice Play as a Dentist and Patient
Before your child visits the dentist, it might be wise to conduct a practice dental appointment at home. Of course, you don’t want to use anything remotely similar to dental tools. However, you can use toys and a comfy chair to allow your child to begin experiencing what it’s like to have mom or dad as the dentist. This tends to calm down young children because it gives them a general feeling of what to expect when their appointment arrives. - Lead by Example Regarding Proper Dental Habits
It’s understandable to wonder when to start really focusing on the health of your child’s teeth. Considering that, it’s important to clean your child’s teeth as soon as they begin to come in. Babies tend to have their first teeth within a few months. With that in mind, you can wash these teeth lightly with a soft washcloth. Eventually, you’ll be able to begin brushing your child’s teeth. As your children get older, ensure that they’re always watching you practice proper daily brushing and flossing. - Avoid Bringing Children to Your Dental Visits
While this might seem like a good idea, it’s best to keep children at home for your dental appointments. You’ll never know when a procedure could cause you to feel a moment of pain. Considering that, the last person you want to watch you experience pain is your child. Therefore, it’s best to take care of dental appointment while your children are in school. Instead, you can choose to remain in the room near your child for his or her appointment which will help them remain comfortable.
In conclusion, it’s understandable to want to find ways to calm a child suffering from dental anxiety. However, your child doesn’t have to live in fear of an upcoming dental visit. These children often end up missing out on crucial early dental trips. In fact, over 40% of children are reported to have dental cavities by the time they’re attending kindergarten. With that in mind, one of the most important decisions to reduce this anxiety is to pick the right first dentist for children. It’s important that children are always able to receive a calming experience from those who know how to keep younger ones calm.
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