Choose Child-Focused Dentists While any dentist will take care of your child, a pediatric dentist has all of the necessary tools and training to handle child patients with patience and care. You can rest assured that your child is in good hands. Dr. Day says, “Pediatric dentistry is important because it provides families with an avenue to fulfill the needs of their children’s oral healthcare in a fun, relaxed environ- ment.” Pediatric dentists are specially trained to treat baby teeth, monitor growth and development and communi- cate with children in a way to make them comfortable. If your child has a fear of the dentist– don’t worry! It can be natural for children to fear the unknown, new experiences, or unfamiliar faces. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the dentist, try to make the experience a positive one! Your child will thank you later.
encourage them to pretend to look at your teeth. They might even like to try this on their toys, too! Remember, it’s a good way to acquaint them with new textures, tools, and experiences.
dentist will ‘tell’ the child about the den- tal explorer or ‘tooth counter,’ then they ‘show’ them how to count while demon- strating on their fingernails, and finally they will actually count their teeth with the instrument.” This technique builds trust between the child and the pediatric dentist and helps the child see it is not as scary as it seems.
Expect Some Anxiety at the Dentist Despite all of your efforts, your
child may still be anxious once they arrive at the dentist. Remind them that anxiety is a normal feeling, and it is okay to be scared of new things. Stay calm and acknowledge your child’s fears by offering comforting words of encour- agement, or even a nice hand squeeze. Bring comfort toys or activities to keep their mind off of the visit. According to Board-certified dentist, Rebecca Day, DDS , “Pediatric dentists are trained to use several behavioral techniques to help children become comfortable at the dentist. One of these techniques is called ‘tell-show-do.’ For example, the pediatric
Encourage Healthy Teeth Habits One of the best ways to make the
dentist less scary is to remove all of the uncomfortable things that might happen at the dentist—root canals, cavity filling, or bleeding gums. Most of these things can be avoided through proper oral hygiene habits such as regular brushing and flossing, and avoiding excessive sugar. To help your child get into healthy habits, teach them the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth, and how their healthy habits can make den- tist visits feel like a breeze.
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