As you look at your calendar for the upcoming week, you see your child’s first dental visit. You might have seen viral videos of parents who choose not to tell their kids that they’re going to the dentist until they’re already in the car or even choose to lie to get them in the car in the first place. Visiting the dentist shouldn’t be a cloak-and-dagger endeavor. In fact, you should discuss going to the pediatric dentist beforehand to prepare your child for the appointment!
However, if you don’t talk about this visit tactfully, it could make the appointment scary or even traumatic. In the content below, you’ll learn how you can carefully talk about the first dental visit to minimize your child’s fears and make it a positive experience.
Overcoming Your Own Dental Anxiety
Some of your child’s fear may reflect your own negative feelings about going to the dentist. However, pediatric dentists are specially trained for working with children. Not only do they know how to teach kids about dental issues and treat them, but they have learned ways to make the entire experience as pleasant as possible for young patients. Even if you have reservations about the dentist for yourself, do your best to talk about these visits positively so your child can get a good impression of dental care early in life.
Honesty and Good Judgement
Many kids have anxiety when they face new situations, which is why you should discuss their dental visits with yours before they go in for their first checkup appointment. It’s best to be honest about what will happen, but you know your child best. Tailor your discussion to their age and what you think they can understand.
Although they may eventually have a cavity or other problem, treatment likely won’t happen during the first visit. For now, focus on the initial appointment, which involves only meeting and getting to know the pediatric dentist, counting and examining teeth, and gentle brushing.
Words to Avoid
The way you frame your explanations can make a huge difference on your child’s understanding of dental care, which means you need to try to use positive or non-scary language to describe what will happen. For example, you don’t need to tell your child that the dentist will use a sharp instrument to look in their mouth. You can simply tell them that the dentist will count and brush their teeth.
For later visits involving more advanced procedures, don’t use fear-inducing, triggering words like pain, poke, shot, injection, or needle. Also, avoid drill or other words that could put alarming imagery into your child’s mind about treating a cavity.
In the end, if you don’t want to be like those mean viral parents, you need to be open with your kid about their first dental visit—just remember that what you say can be powerful, so choose your words wisely!
About the Author
At Kids Dental Space, Dr. Roxanne Clarke strives to provide a uniquely positive experience for each patient. After several years of practicing general family dentistry, she realized that caring for children is her passion. As a mother of two, Dr. Roxanne understands how to help children feel relaxed and learn about important dental care habits. If you would like to schedule your child’s first dental appointment with her, you can contact Kids Dental Space in Towson online or call the office.