Overview
It is generally recommended that your child be seen by a dentist by the age or one or within six months after his or her first tooth comes in. Usually, your child’s first dental visit will be short and involves very little treatment. This visit will give you child an opportunity to meet the dentist in a non-threatening and friendly way.
During the examination, some dentists may ask the parent to sit in the dental chair and hold their child. You may also be asked to wait in the reception area during part of the visit so as to establish the relationship between your child and the dentist. The dentist will check all of your child’s existing teeth for decay, look for any potential problems with jaw, gums and oral tissues and examine your child’s bite. If indicated, the dentist will clean any teeth and asses the need for fluoride. He/she will educate the parents about oral health care basics for children and discuss about the dental developmental issues and answer your questions.
We don’t know a lot of people who like to go to the dentist. Although for us it;s routine, but for your child it could be intimidating. There are many ways you can improve your child’s first dental visit and we are going to show you how!
Don’t make it a big deal
In order to improve your child’s first dental visit, try not to talk about the visit too many times since your child can start becoming suspicious and concerned about it. They could focus on the issue too heavily and become wary when they don’t have to by stressing out thinking it to be something which is really serious. Often, your child will pick up the stressful vibes from the adults and react to it.
Don’t be negative
Past should remain buried- even if you haven’t had any good experience with a dentist as a child, you don’t need to tell yours. Ensure that the person taking care of your child is a professional who make your child feel at ease.
Go when they’re young
The younger your child is, the better the possibility of them of not being afraid. They are more likely to go in without getting stressed or overly worried if you remain calm in front of them. If you want a dentist who works with children, you can use our services to find one.
Do not use bribery
Bribery could make your visit to the dentist seem like a chore as it make your child seem like something they need to endure for a reward. It may give them negative connotations and in the future you’ll never escape the bribery. Go ahead with a positive attitude and make it a comfortable experience for all.
Use positive language
Try not to use any negative words since association to hurt, pain or discomfort before they even visit the dentist won’t do any good to improve your child’s first dental visit. They’ll become scared and worried. Keep it on a positive note and maybe mention how the dentist will help to keep their teeth strong and healthy.
Playing Dentist!
Sometimes playing with a child can leave more of a positive impact on them. Try to take them to doctors and nurses with their friends if your child likes playing. Try playing dentist with them to teach them the importance of their visit but in a fun way. They will use this imagination during the game and then later during their actual visit.
Don’t fuss
Do not fuss too much if your child get scared as it’s inevitable that some kids no matter what will worry during their first dental visit. However, acknowledging that worry and fussing over them will make them feel like it’s something to fuss about. Therefore calmly and kindly tell them it’s all fine and let the dentist use his training for working with your kid since it is all they need to get used to it.
As parent or a legal guardian accompanying your child for their first dental visit, it is important to ask about the complete health information concerning your kid. We hope this helps you to improve your child’s first dental visit and all go smoothly.
Refernce:
Top 10 Dental Articles of 2017 from Allyson James
