How to Prepare a Child for a Dental Visit

Perhaps it’s your toddler’s first trip to the dentist. Or maybe it’s been six months since the last visit--which in kid time is about six years--and your child needs a refresher in what to expect at the dentist’s office. Because there’s so much fear and anxiety attached to a dental visit in our society, parents may find it difficult to communicate what will happen without scaring their child. But preparation is the best way to ensure that your kids will start out on the right foot with their dentist. Read on to learn how to prepare a child for a dental visit.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Call the dentist. Prior to your child’s visit, call the dentist’s office and get a rundown of what will happen during the visit. Children’s visits are typically different than adult exams, so don’t necessarily rely on your own experience.

2. Schedule a tour. Several days to a week before your child’s visit, ask the dental staff if they can give you and your child a tour of the office, pointing out all of the places where your child can play, prizes that she’ll receive for brushing, and any other fun aspects. You want the tour to be close enough to the appointment that your child can easily recall the fun associated with the experience.

3. Discuss the visit the day before. Despite this preparation, if your child is showing signs of anxiety, you may be tempted to talk about his upcoming dental visit all day every day in an effort to soothe him. That actually may prolong the anxiety, however, because kids don’t have an accurate sense of time. Simply remind your child on the day of the appointment that today’s the day he gets to visit the fish tank at the dentist’s office and have his teeth cleaned.

4. Answer questions honestly. Like adults, it’s the potential pain factor that causes fear in kids. If your child is going in for a simple cleaning and exam, there’s virtually no potential for pain. Even if a cavity is discovered, it would be taken care of at a later appointment (for which you can prepare her later). So you can answer honestly that the visit won’t hurt. However, if an appointment is looming that might involve some pain, it’s important to be honest--without causing undue fright--or your child won’t trust you to tell her the truth in the future.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many good books made specifically to teach kids about dental visits. If you’re having trouble coming up with the right words, try reading a book with your child as a jumping off point to the discussion.
• Most dentists welcome parents into the exam room with their children as a way to keep the kids calm and cooperative. But always check beforehand, so you don’t promise your son that you’ll be beside him the whole time--only to find out that you won’t be.

[maxcanine]

on 6/2/2009 The book "How to Successfully Prepare for your Child's First Dental Visit" is very helpful. It gives parents detailed information from an insiders view on how to prepare properly. It is available at Amazon or firstdentalvisit.com

[dentisign]

on 4/21/2008 Try DentiSign - the hand singnaling system that enables patient-communication and reduces dental anxiety by restoring control to the patient.

www.DentiSign.com