If you are a parent, you know that young children are fearful of things they do not know about or are new to them. Sometimes adults don’t really understand this fear, and just dismiss it off hand. But to kids, these fears are not to be taken lightly, and are a very real concern to them. The best thing a parent or other adult can do is to realize these fears need to be addressed and the child reassured. So what do we need to do?
Don’t
* Tell children there is nothing to worry about. Adults worry when they go to the dentist in Oceanville– so can children. Reassure the child that nothing bad is really going to happen to them.
* Lie to them. Tell them what is going to happen. Explain that they may not like some things if x-rays need to be taken or a cavity is being filled, but the dentist is going to be as gentle as possible and make sure there is not pain.
* Be afraid to see the dentist yourself. Most children learn by observation and if they see that adults are afraid, they become afraid without really knowing why. If you are taking your child with you to the dentist, smile and get excited when it is your turn.
Do
* Make the appointment early in the morning or the first one after lunch. This reduces the waiting time in the lobby. The longer a child has to wait, the wilder his or her imagination gets – especially if they can hear the buzz of a drill from the exam room.
* Prepare the child by explaining what is going to happen. If this is the first visit, get some storybooks or videos about going to the dentist in Oceanville. Talk to your child about what happened to the characters when they saw the dentist and how they felt about it. Some children will roll play the stories by pretending to be a dentist and checking their doll’s (or a willing volunteer’s) teeth.
* Choose the right dentist. Like the Family dentist in Oceanville your child’s dentist needs to have a genuine liking for children and are willing to spend the time explaining what the purpose is for everything in the exam room, what they are going to be doing, and to answer any questions the child may have.
* Make it fun. Let your child touch things in the exam room as they check things out (with the dentist’s permission). Younger children may feel safer if they can set on a parent’s lap during the exam. Then try to follow up the dental visit with something the child enjoys doing, like spending some time at the park or getting a special treat.
Like anything, a trip to the dentist for a child can be stressful or pleasant, depending on the way parents prepare them for it. Taking these pointers into consideration can help make their visit a positive one.
Dentist Oceanville – You can find child friendly dentists, at the Absecon Family Dental office in Oceanville. They provide all dental services at affordable prices .
