What to do if Your Child is Afraid of the Dentist
You’ve talked about going to the dentist, you’ve let your child know that dentist are important for healthy teeth and you’ve even explained how the visit might go. Yet, in the dentist’s chair, your child is not cooperating and is afraid.
We see many kids, from two months to teenagers who are afraid of the dentist. Here are some tips that can be helpful:
- Remain calm. Outwardly at least. If your child sees that you are upset, they will feed on that. Although remaining calm may not result in them immediately calming down, getting upset will almost certainly escalate their emotions.
- Accept that their feelings are valid. Even some adults are afraid of the dentist. It’s just that we are more able to rationalize ourselves through it. All behaviour has a reason: your child might find the chair weird, the masks a bit scary and, even though modern dentistry involves very little pain and discomfort, the amount of discomfort they have experienced at the dentist may still seem too much.
- Suggest how they can cope. Remind them that discomfort will pass quickly and that they then can then relax and watch the TV if there is one, or check out the dentist’s artwork. Calmly remind them that a little treatment now can prevent a big treatment later, and also that everyone goes to the dentist and it is what you are expecting of them as a member of a healthy family.
- Reward them afterwards. Remind them of the treats that come after a dental visit. Most kids love the little toy they get at the end of a visit, and some enjoy just receiving a new floss, mini toothpaste, or toothbrush. Maybe you can do something nice for them after the visit. Do they like to pop into the coffee shop for steamed milk? Or maybe a new little toy or book or an activity, depending on what they like.
- Try visiting a dentist that caters to children. Maybe they really don’t like the particular dentist, or office or assistant they saw first. Often going to a dental office that sees many kids can be worthwhile. Staff are usually very patient, gentle, and have a lot of experience with various emotional situations for parents and kids. All this experience can go a long way in making the visit more pleasant.
- Try conscious sedation or general anesthetic. Conscious sedation may be good if your child is extremely afraid of the dentist but needs treatment in one area in one area of the mouth. Or, if the child is young and requires treatment in many ‘quadrants’ of the mouth (cavities in the top right, bottom right and bottom left), you may be able to take your child to dental surgery center where they are completely put under. A small child may not be able to tolerate fillings in more than three spots in one appointment.
Kits Family Dental is located in Kitsilano, BC and specializes in children’s dentistry. Contact Us.
I hope these ideas will help you and your child move towards enjoying, or at least tolerating, trips to the dentist. You are doing your child a big favor by investing in their oral care and visiting the dentist every six months. Without regular visits, cavities can grow large very quickly. So, soldier on! Trips to the dentist are an important part of your lives together.
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Kits Family Dental Specializes in Children and Families!
We’re very familiar with children at our Vancouver dentist office and have years of experience in children’s dentistry. We pride ourselves on employing methods to calm and distract nervous patients no matter their age, but especially kids. See us in action in the following video.
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Do you have a little one that is afraid of the dentist? We wrote this blog post years ago and published it at Vancouver Mom.
