3 Things to Help Make Your Child's Next Dentist Appointment Easier
Do you have a child that needs to visit the dentist? Have you had a difficult time with dentist visits in the past? Few adults enjoy going to the dentist, so it should come as no surprise if you're having a difficult time convincing your child that visiting his or her dentist is a good idea. But since visiting a pediatric dentist is essential to the dental health of your child, it's important that you make him or her go anyway. In order to help make this struggle easier on you, here are a few tips for you to consider:
Play dentist with your child: If you have a very young child, part of his or her objection to the dentist is likely to be the strangeness and the unfamiliarity of it all. You take your child to a strange office where a strange person looks in his or her mouth with strange instruments. If he or she isn't yet old enough to understand why this is happening, this strangeness can be very scary. Overcoming this strangeness can be a huge step towards your child becoming more accepting of visits to his or her pediatric dentist. Buy a toy dental set and use it to play dentist with your child, taking turns peeking in each other's mouth. The more you do this playing, the less scary the next visit is likely to be.
Don't talk about your dentist: Or, at least, don't talk about your experiences in front of your child. Even if your kid is too young to know what the words "root canal" mean, he or she can still pick up on the concept that the dentist caused you at least temporary pain. While root canals and even fillings may be years in the future for your child, he or she won't know that the pediatric dentist you use isn't going to hurt him or her in the same way.
Dress up silly: Your child may almost completely forget his or her fears if you dress up in a silly outfit for the appointment. It may make you feel self-conscious but can save you a lot of struggle later. It can be as simple as just a silly wig and a clown nose, or you could go all out and dress up in a full Halloween costume. The important part is to amuse your young child enough with your costume that he or she forgets to be scared at the pediatric dentist's office.
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