7 Tips on How to Prevent Your Child’s First Dentist Visit Becoming a Nightmare

Proper oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist are essential steps in maintaining the health and appearance of our pearly whites. Good habits should be formed in childhood, and parents should strive to create the right attitude that will last a lifetime.

That way, you’ll ensure that your kid is proud to show off their broad smile for years to come. Many adults fear visiting their dentists, and that fear is usually formed in the first few years of a child’s life. The consequences of a bad consultation can be long lasting.

Having served the community for years Orthodental have noticed a few ways that you can make your child’s first visit a more pleasant experience. 

There are a few tips and tricks that will prevent your child’s first dentist visit from becoming a nightmare – implementing them well will have a lasting impact.

Take them with you.

A good strategy to make your children realize a visit to the dentist is nothing to fear, is to take them with you on your yearly routine checkup. When they see that you are relaxed and content to be checked by your dentist, they will be too when it’s their turn. 

Of course, don’t take them when there’s major work to be done, like a wisdom tooth extraction or a root canal.

Start early.

It’s better to take your kids to the dentist before any problems arise. Don’t wait until they get a cavity and a visit to the dentist becomes a necessity that includes any pain. 

Even one or two visits when they are young can make a difference.

Early visits also allow your dentist to spot any issues that may be a concern in the future.

Pick the right dentist.

Find a dentist that enjoys working with children and knows how to soothe them and get them to collaborate. Orthodental have a great track record treating children and adults.

We always aim to make the experience as enjoyable and stress free as possible.

Talk to your kids.

Use age-appropriate language and talk to your child openly about their first visit to the dentist. Don’t include any graphic explanation but do answer any questions they might have. Fear of the unknown might create even more anxiety and scare them away from getting regular checkups, creating more stress in the future and lead to bad oral hygiene. 

Play cartoons.

There’s a bunch of cartoons online that present a visit to the dentist in a positive and fun way. Almost half of the children experience anxiety before a visit to the dentist’s office – a great way to prevent that is to get your little ones interested and informed about what awaits them on their check-up. 

If your kid likes to play pretend, you can even pretend you are their patient, and they are inspecting your teeth – make sure to tell them how much better you feel after the visit and how you no longer have a toothache. 

Practice good oral hygiene

Brushing your child’s teeth regularly and limiting their sugar intake will prevent any painful interventions that will scare them from getting routine checks. Make sure to start early and give them a good example yourself. 

Keep a positive attitude.

Don’ sweat it too much – if they see you aren’t anxious about their checkup, they won’t be either. If your kids see you don’t see the visit as a big deal, they’ll be happy to go and ready to start a lifetime of good dental with a big smile. 

Finally

Get in touch with Orthodental today and we arrange a stress-free visit for your child.