Part of your job as a parent is keeping your kids healthy, including their dental health. However, many children experience dental anxiety. A caring parent can make a difference in their child’s attitude and reduce their fear. With clever strategy and some imagination, you might even help them make their trips to the dentist fun.
Early Dental Care
With this goal in mind, you can steer your child’s attitude with their first teeth. Dentists recommend wiping those first teeth with a wet washcloth so your baby will become used to feeling something cleaning their teeth. As they become toddlers, you can encourage them to “brush” their doll’s teeth.
You should bring them to their first dental visit when they’re about a year old. Before their first visit, you can bring your child to the dentist’s office for a tour. During your child’s first visit, be as caring as possible, holding them on your lap if necessary.
Toddlers and Teeth
As your child develops more teeth, their visits to the dentist will become more involved. Find ways to incorporate dental care into your child’s daily experience with books or songs about teeth. Healthline says you should schedule an appointment for routine teeth cleaning every six months. Bring a distraction for the child, like a stuffed animal or a blanket, and make that item a consistent part of their future dental visits.
During the toddler years, the sense of fun you instill into dental visits can increase. Allow your child to select whichever outfit they like for the visit, whether it’s a party dress or a Superman costume. Encourage them to anticipate dental visits the same way they would a party. Most importantly, keep your attitude positive as you interact with your child during the visit.
Elementary Adventures
Continue using fun elements with dental visits during their elementary school years. At this age, you can introduce the concept of your child’s role in their dental health. They’ll be familiar with getting a report card, so create a ‘Dental Report Card’ for them. They can create dental goals for themselves, and you can reward them with small prizes when they reach them.
Incorporate fun into their attitude about dentistry by encouraging them to make up silly songs about teeth. At the dental office, you can play ‘I Spy’ or other games with your child. A good pediatric dentist will use each visit as a teaching tool. When you get home, have your child share their new knowledge with their stuffed animals – or, better still, a younger sibling.
Taking the Reigns
Regular dental appointments should continue through the teen years, including an orthodontic consult, when needed. After all, according to the CDC, almost 60% of adolescents aged 12 through 19 have had a cavity in their permanent teeth. The games you played with them may have alleviated your teens’ fears about the dentist. However, the emphasis of teen years will be more focused on their ability to assume more control of their dental care.
Teens are very conscious of their appearance, so you can remind them having attractive teeth will add to the quality of their smile. Special emphasis on dental health is essential if your teen is diabetic. Hopefully, they have adopted the habit of abstaining from sugary foods and drinks. You can reinforce this and an additional precaution by letting them know diabetes and tobacco use are risk factors for gum disease.
As you can see, there are many things you can do to help your child see the dentist as a less fearful – and more helpful – presence in their lives. With a more playful approach during their childhood, they may even look forward to the dentist. The dentist will seem familiar when they reach their teen years. As a result, their attitude – as well as their dental health – will have permanently changed for the better.