For many people, going to the dentist is a normal routine event. However, some children feel downright terrified about having to go to a pediatric dentist. Fortunately though, there are a wide variety of different things that you can do to help ease your child's dental anxiety.
1. Promise A Reward
Offering a reward is often an excellent way to get your child to behave well. Let them know that if they are good at the dentist and don't have any sort of tantrum then they can look forward to getting a special reward afterwards.
Maybe your child would like going out with the family for an ice cream cone or perhaps there is a particular toy that they would really love to have. If your child knows in advance that they will have this reward to look forward to, they will surely try and behave themselves. It also serves as a great distraction from their fears about going to the dentist.
2. Bring A Trusted Companion
Whether it's Grandma, Grandpa, or a beloved stuffed animal, it's a good idea to have a trusted companion join you at the dentist's office. Having someone there other then just you that your child loves and trusts can help a great deal with helping your child feel more relaxed. If you can bring someone with you to the dentist appointment that tends to make your child laugh easily, that would be a huge plus. Anything that you can do to help your child feel more comfortable will help make their visit to the dental office much easier for them.
3. Meet The Dental Staff Early
If your child's dental anxiety is truly severe, it's best to have the meet the dental staff sometime prior to your child's appointment. Once your child meets them and sees how friendly they are, this should go a long ways in convincing your child that the people at the dental office are actually really nice. If you can arrange to have them give your child a small gift like perhaps some free stickers at this visit, that will help your child see the dental office as a fun place.
Having to deal with a child that is feeling anxious can be very stressful. Luckily, trying even just one or two of these suggestions should go a long ways in helping your child to feel more calm and relaxed at their next dental visit.
Share29 April 2015
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.