Dentist Visits | 3 Tricks To Prep Your Kids For Their First Dental Visit

Dentist Blog

Preparing your child for their first visit to the dentist is perhaps one of the toughest tasks because kids tend to be fearful of things they don't know or understand. They probably only know what they've watched on TV about a dentist –– and it's not always positive. But it can be if you take a few extra moments to prepare your children to meet the dentist. Here are some tricks to help you prep your kids for their first dental visit.

Remove All Fear-Invoking Words From Your Vocabulary During Dentist Talk

When preparing your child for a visit to the dentist, avoid using expressions and words that invoke fear. Instead, use words that instill a sense of happiness and positivity. For example, instead of referring to a painful procedure for tooth cleaning, you can talk about how the cleaning process will give your child a more beautiful smile. While there may be a small element of discomfort involved, keep in mind that a good dentist knows how to make the procedure as painless as possible for little kids, so try not to frighten your child when it's not necessary.

Show Your Child How Comfortable You Feel With The Dentist

Children tend to take behavioural cues from their parents, so if you want your child to feel comfortable at the dentist, you cannot show any sign of discomfort. Striking a friendly conversational tone, instead of a formal one is advisable when you're dealing with a little child's anxiety, so make sure you are familiar with the dentist before taking your child to the clinic. If you want to be sure of your dentist's procedure, talk to him beforehand to understand the level of treatment required for your child's teeth. This will give you enough confidence to spin a positive tone when discussing this dental procedure with your child.

Reward Your Child For Bravery

A first time visit to the dentist may leave you as anxious as your kids, but don't let them know that. In fact, a good way to remove the potential anxiety is to reward your child for his bravery after the dental procedure. For example, perhaps you could get him a new toy for his collection or a new crayon set for his colouring hobby. As your child looks forward to his reward, he will start associating the dental visit with something that he loves. This is sure to make your life much simpler for handling subsequent visits to the dentist.

Apart from following these tricks for a good first-time visit to the dentist, you'll want to teach your child the value of good dental hygiene for better oral health. For more information, contact a practice like The Happy Tooth Kurri Kurri.

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3 December 2015

Teeth And Tears: Dental Dramas Of A School Nurse

I have worked as a school nurse for decades. Children come to me with all sorts of scrapes and bumps and bruises. Black eyes from playing football, sprained wrists from falling off the monkey bars and stomachaches from too many sweets are common complaints. However, the issue that seems to cause the greatest angst is tooth problems. Sometimes a child will have a second tooth knocked out when playing sport and parents arrive in tears. At other times, children come to my office crying because their friends are teasing them about teeth that are discoloured or stick out. I take an active interest in the latest dental news so that I can give parents and children comfort and advice. I have included some of my collected wisdom on these pages. Perhaps this information can help you understand some options when faced with a dental problem. Thank you for reading.