10 Tips Make Dentist Visit Less Scary for Child
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To ensure possibility care for dental health also for children whose visits cause fears stress decisive importance not only supportive environment provided by specifically pediatric dentistry adapted practices but also parents' attitude timely preparation before visits. In this article Health and Beauty Center Adoria director Dana Zālīte provides practical recommendations to parents how increase child's sense of security dispel fears before dentist visit.
Reduce Child's Fear of Dentist – Most Important Summary:
- First steps: proper emotional informational preparation at home reduces uncertainty forms basis for trust.
- Environment cooperation: supportive pediatric dentistry empathetic specialists communication during visit helps child feel safer.
- Reinforcement routine: positive visit conclusion regular visits form long-term confidence healthy habits.
Understanding Preparation: Basis for Fear Reduction
If child already developed fears successful pediatric dentistry visits first step not ignore deny these fears but acknowledge purposefully work on their reduction. Ignoring downplaying child's fears importance can achieve opposite effect – child feels misunderstood fears only intensify potentially hindering timely help.
1. Acknowledge Affirm Child's Feelings
For child already afraid important feel heard understood. Deny fears (“Nothing terrible there!”) shame them (“Big boy/girl doesn't cry!”) can only worsen situation making child feel lonely misunderstood. Instead important notice accept child's emotions without reinforcing them. Can say: “I see/understand thought of dentist makes you a bit worried that's not bad. Many feel that way. Let's try together figure out how we can make this visit easier calmer.” Such approach shows empathy offers cooperation in problem solving.
2. Gradual Habituation
For children with pronounced anxiety even playful dentist visit imitation can immediately activate negative associations cause resistance as fears already established. Therefore in such cases recommended gradual habituation as allows bypass this resistance breaking process into small manageable steps giving child control slowly forming new neutral associations in safe environment.
Can start with tooth examination in mirror then allow child themselves parent carefully touch teeth with finger soft brush. Can use electric toothbrush accustom to vibration sound somewhat reminiscent of dentist instruments. Can role-play specific visit steps – sitting in chair e.g., on reclining office chair mouth opening instrument viewing.
Important do it playfully without forcing allowing child control pace stop at any moment. Through games guided gradual habituation process helps reduce anxiety caused by unknown.
3. Positive but Realistic Visit Description
Important talk about dentist positively but avoid lying unrealistic promises e.g., “You'll feel absolutely nothing!” “Doctor just looks!”. Child already experienced physical emotional discomfort will not believe such claims. Instead can use specific child-understandable positive comparisons metaphors for procedures.
E.g., tell dentist has “special sleepy water” (anesthesia) helping tooth fall asleep while fixing it “magic shower” washing away bad bacteria. Can emphasize result – “After that your teeth will be strong healthy smile even prettier!”. Main create feeling dentist helper not bogeyman.
4. Visit Plan Preparation
Before visit useful discuss its expected course step by step. Practical aid jointly created engaging visual plan using child's drawings stickers even photos with sequential events e.g.: going to dentistry waiting entering office sitting in chair mouth opening instrument viewing actions on teeth rinsing reward.
Child's involvement in this plan creation can increase both sense of control reduce above-mentioned fears of unknown. During visit important remind about next step according to plan. Agreement with dentist so he before each action explains what will be done (“Now I'll take little mirror...”) also helps. Less unexpected surprises during dentist visit greater chance it becomes calm experience for child creates positive associations for future.
- Exactly child's first experience in dentist office has most important role influencing child's attitude in subsequent times. Therefore particularly important ensure first contact maximally positive. About how prepare child for first dentist visit read article: "How Prepare Child for First Dentist Visit?".
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5. Active Communication with Pediatric Dentistry Specialists
Useful before visit contact chosen dentistry. Communication with clinic informing registry dentist assistant about child's fears their intensity important step. Can find out dentistry experience working with fearful children methods specialists use in such situations.
Useful can be opportunity arrange short acquaintance visit without treatment – during it child can simply look around office get acquainted with staff sit in chair. Helps reduce uncertainty build trust. Such proactive communication allows clinic staff prepare adjust approach to specific child's needs.
6. Giving Control Elements to Child
Fears often intensified by feeling of losing control therefore important give child opportunity somewhat control situation. Worth agree on “stop” signal e.g., hand raising child can use if feels discomfort needs break. Respecting safety considerations essential both parents dentist respect this signal.
This signal can be effectively practiced at home during role-playing so it becomes automatic safe tool for child. Also giving small choice possibilities if possible – e.g., cartoon choice on screen toothpaste flavor opportunity hold favorite toy – can help child feel more like situation master. Even small sense of control can significantly reduce anxiety.
7. Learning Relaxation Techniques
Before visit parent with child can jointly learn practice simple relaxation techniques useful in dentist chair. Examples include deep breathing muscle tensing releasing. This technique learning can be turned into game at home e.g., practicing “bubble breathing” (slow exhale as if blowing bubble) listening to chosen soothing song fragment so it becomes familiar easily recalled in memory in stress moment.
Can also agree on some distraction technique – counting singing in mind focusing on some interesting object. Gentle physical contact from parent's side e.g., hand holding forehead stroking if helps child does not interfere with visit course can provide additional security.
8. Parents' Calm for Child's Support
Children especially those scared very sensitive to parents' emotions. If parent tense nervous overly pities child shows impatience child's anxiety only intensifies. Very important for parent themselves maximally maintain calm confidence. Calm presence signals to child situation manageable safe.
9. Focusing on Small Achievements
For child already negative experience pronounced fears entire visit can seem insurmountable challenge. Visit can be perceived as set of several small achievable steps. Essential express praise encouragement for each small achievement – for courage entering office sitting in chair opening mouth allowing look at teeth. Important praise not result (“didn't cry”) but process effort applied (“Well done you were so brave!” “I saw how hard you tried!”). Helps child notice own achievements increases confidence in own abilities cope.
10. Post-visit Discussion
After visit valuable dedicate time calm conversation with child. Can talk about feelings about what was hardest what helped again praise for courage cooperation. If there were difficult moments can discuss them without judgment focusing on what next time could do differently what help methods use.
Very important avoid shaming for fears tears. Such conversation helps child process experience reduces possibility negative emotions kept inside intensify until next time.
Regular even short preventive visits to dental hygienist can be excellent way gradually accustom child to dentistry environment procedures in less scary context. Hygienist visit usually painless helps form positive associations with dental care overall important thinking about child's dentistry visits long-term.
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- From what age child should start regularly visit dentist why dental health care from early age so essential importance read article: "When Why Child Should Start Regular Dentist Visits?".
Pediatric Dentistry at Health and Beauty Center Adoria
At Health and Beauty Center Adoria we understand how important gentle empathetic approach working with youngest patients. Our pediatric dentistry specialists will help create environment where child feels safe cared for gently helping overcome fears forming positive experience.