Amongst
kids, visiting the dentist rates as high as going for a flu
shot, having the ear’s rotted out. The only way to prepare your
child for a dentist’s visit is to promote the healthy aspect
of the medical appointment.
Quelling your child’s nerves before the dentist
visit can alleviate everyone’s stress level (yours, the dentist
your child). According to the American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry, a child’s first visit to the dentist should happen
shortly after the first tooth makes its debut or six and twelve
months old.
A pediatric dentist is best for children and
adolescents up
to the age of 18. It prepares little ones for the day their
real visit to the dentist takes place. Not to mention, your
attitude and outlook toward your child’s visit to the dentist
will significantly affect your child’s behavior.
Quite often, it is a parent’s anxious attitude
towards the dentist visit that promotes a child’s phobia about
going to the dental office. Although, certain parents unknowingly
influence these negative feelings, parents can motivate positive
reinforcement regarding the visit to the dentist.
Even though it’s a good idea to explain to
your children what to expect during your visit to the dentist,
remind your child that the dentist is like a nice smile cleaner
who will make sure that his or her teeth are healthy, clean
and bright.
To avoid instilling fear in your child, tell
them everything to expect with the exception of using terms
such as drill or shot.
If your child end up needing a cavity filled,
use the term filling cavity to explain the procedure. Focus
more on the cause of the cavity opposed to the actual step by
step procedure. The more you play down the drilling aspect of
the cavity extraction, the better your child’s visit to the
dentist. |
