|
|
|
|
How to Get Your Child Ready for his First Dental Appointment
|
Posted on 10/15/2015 by Cynthia Pelley |
 If you are bringing your child into the dentist for the first time, it is normal for both of you to be a little scared. If your child is older, he will know what is going on and may have more trepidation. This is why it is best to bring your children in as early as possible, to make the dentist a regular part of his life. If you have waited, however, there are simple ways to ensure that your child is relaxed and able to withstand the exam and treatment that follows.
Don't be a Briber
The last thing you want to do is bribe your child to be good in our office. You can tell him that you expect the same good behavior that you expect anywhere else that you go, but don't make the dentist office seem any different than anything else. If you bribe him, he will wonder why he needs to be so different in our office. The thoughts will race and he will begin to become more afraid as a result. Instead, treat it like anything else you do in life - going to the dentist is a natural part of life; it does not need a bribe. He will walk out with healthy, pretty teeth - that is incentive enough!
Talk about the Benefits
Make sure to talk our office up to your child. Make him see what a good thing it is that he is coming in to see us. Let him know that you go to the dentist and how great you feel afterwards. Talk about the benefits of a professional cleaning and a check-up. You can compare the check-up to the one he receives from his pediatrician. If you go to that doctor once a year, he will understand that the same is true in his mouth - he just needs to see a different type of doctor for it. You can read books or just talk to your child about the benefits and let him get excited about coming to see us.
Let him Feel Safe
If your child has "levies" or an object that makes him feel safe, let him bring it. You don't want this trip to seem like anything negative, but if he regularly brings his safety objects, places, then he can definitely bring them here. Some kids like to bring their blankets or a favorite stuffed animal. Other kids just like to have their parents right by their side. Whatever makes your child feel comfortable is what you should do in order to show him that coming to our office is a good and safe choice, enabling him to have good oral health well into the future.
Bring your child to our office as soon as you can. If he has not had a dental check-up and already has all of his teeth, time is of the essence. The earlier we see your child, the sooner we can determine the level of his oral health. Generally, we just need to do a cleaning and baseline exam to give us something to base your child's oral health off of in the future. As a parent, you should keep up your regular appointments as well in order for your child to see the importance of proper oral health care.
Please call us today for your child's oral health care appointment. Let us know if it is his very first appointment and we will go out of our way to ensure that it is a happy one that will make him want to return!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
