How to prepare your children for a dental treatment
Our aim is to ensure that you and your child will find the first visit and all visits to our office for dental treatment to be comfortable and rewarding as possible.
During your child’s first visit, which should occur as soon as the baby is born we expect parents to accompany their child to the dental treatment room. After the first visit, and bearing in mind the age and the ability of your child to cooperate with us, we will discuss with you whether a parent should be present in the dental treatment room during dental procedures.
Please bear in mind that mutual trust is established between us and your child when the presence of parents, either in the dental room or in the waiting room, is very discreet. This mutual trust ensures good communication and improves your child’s cooperation with us when providing dental care.
Research has shown that when parents feel stressed about their child’s visit to the dentist, they transmit the same mood to their child who then fails to cooperate with the dentist.
For that reason, please do not express any dental fears that you may have to your child. Try to feel relaxed and have a positive attitude towards the dental reservation. Do not discuss any negative dental experiences that either parent may have had in front of your child.
Fearful children
Many fearful children visit our office. Some of them have been to other dentists before without success. These children are even more fearful and difficult to manage because they already have had an unpleasant or painful experience.
The best thing that you can do as a parent before your child’s first visit is to be calm and happy. Prepare your child that the purpose of the first visit to our office will be only to count their teeth, maybe take pictures, and definitely to pick out a prize from our treasure tower.
Don’t try to explain further details to your child, as you may give hints to your child creating false ideas of what will happen. We know the methods and have the techniques to manage your child’s behaviour and fear.
Some of the techniques are:
- Tell – Show – Do
- Modeling
- Positive reinforcement
- Distraction
- Use of mild sedation
Pediatric dentists are trained to recognize the reasons behind your child’s dental fear and anxiety, and to manage your child’s behaviour. But please always expect age appropriate behavior to occur.
Most children can be managed by using some simple behaviour management techniques. Others need more time and effort and a more complicated approach. The majority of children can cooperate well in the dental office for treatment if a correct and careful approach is applied. However, some children may need alternative options for their dental treatment, such as sedation or general anaesthesia.