A trip to the dentist office has always been a long-time fear that many people experience throughout the duration of their lives. Whether the fear was caused by a childhood trauma or just a general fear, it can be difficult dealing with the anxiety that accompanies a dental appointment even if you are an adult let alone a child. If you are a parent that has a child with a fear of the dentist this can be especially difficult to cope with.
Scheduling and taking your child to a dental appointment can be a trying task if he/she is feeling anxious about the appointment. So what can you possibly do as a parent to ease his mind? Below are three tips you can employ to try and ease your child’s anxiety and make his next dental appointment a more pleasant experience.
Start young
Try to get your child to the dentist as young as possible. Even if it is just visiting the dentist getting them acclimated to the environment from a young age will allow them to recognize it as an area that is more welcoming than it is scary. Most fear that children fear is bread from the unknown, so ensuring your child is familiar with a dental office may help relieve their anxiety, or help them from feeling any in the first place. Visiting your dentist before a child’s first birthday is a good benchmark. Besides being a recommended age for a first dental visit, it is also a good age for them to be able to develop a sense of comfort from visiting a dental office on a routine basis.
Consider your dentist
When trying to relieve your child’s anxiety over visiting a dental office you can help ease it by carefully considering what dentist you have provide a dental service to your child. It is important to find a dentist that is kid-friendly and has staff that are familiar with working with children and can respond effectively to their needs. Certain dentists focus solely on pediatrics, but some simply have specific experience or training to enable them to work better with children. The key is finding a dentist that has a good rapport within your community working with children.
Explain the situation
Explaining the situation to your child may not cure his anxiety over visiting a dental office, but it may allow you to understand and get to the root of his/her fear. When discussing the fear, never make light of the situation—let your child know that you understand. Sharing a fear of your own make your child more likely to open up as to why they are so afraid.
Explaining what will happen at the dental office may also work to waylay their fears. Try asking your dentist to explain every procedure to your child before they perform it. Knowing what is going to happen may reduce the anxiety your child is feeling.
A child can feel anxiety over many different situations, especially when having to face a trip to the dental office. There are, however, steps you can take to minimize the anxiety your child feels. For all your dental needs, visit the website for Smile Magic Dentistry today!
