Many individuals struggle with dental anxiety. Their dental anxiety is so severe that they avoid or stop seeing the dentist, completely. Well, imagine what a visit to a dentist must be like for a kid – laying on a big chair in a brightly lit room while some strangers use weird-looking metal tools to examine their teeth. Anxiety and fear are quite understandable from a kid’s viewpoint, but at the same time, regular dental visits are necessary to keeping teeth healthy and to encouraging a lifetime of good oral care habits. Below are some tips that may help relieve fears your kid might have.
Begin early
As mentioned earlier, a dentist’s office can be a frightening place for children. Therefore, you should expose the dentist’s office to your kids as early as possible. The sooner you expose your kids to that environment, the more comfortable they will be in it later on. According to experts, parents should take their child to a pediatric dentist as soon as when the first tooth erupts.
Do not mention the details
When your kid has questions when preparing for a dental visit, you should certainly answer them all; however, be sure that you do not go into too much detail. Too much detail will only tend to raise more questions. The details may even cause more anxiety. The best thing to do is leave the details to the professional. A pediatric dentist will do a much better job of explaining the dental procedures during the oral exam than you ever could. When taking your kid to a dentist, your main focus should be on reassuring and keeping a positive attitude at all times.
Do not use scary words
When describing the upcoming dental visit, many parents use certain words that worry their children. Despite being somewhat accurate, certain words like “uncomfortable,” “strange,” “weird,” “painful,” etc. tend to trigger the feelings of anxiety. Most experts advise that parents should avoid such words, and instead, try using simpler, innocuous language. For example, parents should tell their kids that the dentist just needs to see their teeth.
Never bribe
Bribery may work once or twice, but it is not a good habit when it comes to getting children to do something that is likely unpleasant. Children oftentimes can easily see through your stratagems and understand that the things they are being asked to do are something bad. Because of this, kids often feel more uneasy about the dental visit than if a stratagem or a bribe had not been offered altogether. Bribery also sends a confusing message. For instance, you tell your kid that you would buy them candies if they go to the dentist, but the dentist, on the other hand, tells your kid not to eat too many sweets! Now, wouldn’t it be confusing to the young minds?
Explain the kids about the need for a good oral care
As parents, you should explain to your kids about the importance of regular dental visits. Tell them how regular visits to the dentist eliminate serious oral health problems. Explain to them how a small oral health problem, can cause serious complications later on. Also, explain to them how good oral health contributes toward the well-being of the overall physical health. Strong teeth and a healthy mouth are assets, and children should know about it.
When in need of a pediatric dentist, Tysons Corner parents take their kids to the SmilePerfectors. A leading Tysons Corner dental arts center, SmilePerfectors’ pediatric dentists work with kids who are one year or older. They are experienced and amicable, and they provide a complete pediatric dentistry service to children in Tysons Corner.
To learn more about the SmilePerfectors, leading pediatric dentists in Tysons Corner, visit http://smileperfectors.com/page/pediatric-kids-dentist.
