The Endeavour Smiles Group team believes parents play a vital role in making dentist visits positive and enjoyable.
A couple of handy tips to prepare your child for their dental appointment include:
– Using positive and child-friendly terms when talking about the dentist, such as ‘seeing the tooth fairy’s friends’ or ‘going for a ride in the dental chair’.
– Not using the dentist as a deterrent or punishment! Threats like ‘if you don’t brush your teeth, the dentist will pull them out’ are unlikely to change behaviour but will certainly reinforce fear. Refrain from telling stories about bad dental experiences (even if you’ve had one yourself) or using words such as ‘needle’, ‘pull’ or ‘drill’ as this will only cause your child to become fearful and hesitant.
Other ways that can help a child feel relaxed during their next dental visit include:
1. Getting them into the clinic to watch an older sibling or family member in the dental chair from a young age.
2. Encouraging good oral health habits, and explaining the importance of dental visits through story books or interactive videos online.
3. Being a great role model by passing on positive emotions about your dental visit.
4. Playing dentist can alleviate their fear.
5. Giving positive reinforcement with praise.
Hopefully some or all of these tips will help your child ease any anxiety and fear that is felt during their dental visits.
