It seems to be a recurring idea that kids absolutely hate it when they have to go to the dentist. Parents are likely to dread the trip as well as taking their child to the dentist becomes associated with screaming, pouting, and crying. However, what if I told you that it didn’t have to be this way and that you as a parent can actually work early to prevent your child from hating those trips to the dentist? It’s not too good to be true, and in this article I’m going to go over some of the top tips to help your child get over their fear of the dentist.
Take Your Child Starting From an Early Age
It’s safe to say that most children don’t hate the dentist as a person, but because they’re scared of someone poking around their mouth with sharp tools while they lay helpless. And honestly, who can blame them? For a child not used to such things it can be pretty scary, but if you as a parent start bringing your child to the dentist as early as possible, then they’ll be able to get used to it much quicker. You can start taking your child to the dentist as early as 1 year old or whenever their first baby tooth is fully visible.
if you offer your child a reward if they go to the dentist then they will already associate the dentist in their mind as an annoyance or struggle they have to get through.
Try Playing Dentist with Your Child First
Another creative idea to make the dentist seem significantly less scary to your child is simply to start with a pretend visit to the dentist before your actually go. Walking your child through the process and showing them that there’s a lot less to be to be worried about goes a long way towards ridding them of their fear of the dentist’s office. In addition to this, having someone they trust (such as mom or dad) play the role of the dentist can help them trust their real dentist much more.
Do Not Bribe Your Child to Go
Some parents might think the best solution is to promise their child a trip to the zoo or a special treat if they tough out their trip to the dentist, but in actuality this is a practice you most certainly want to avoid. Quite simply, if you offer your child a reward if they go to the dentist then they will already associate the dentist in their mind as an annoyance or struggle they have to get through, rather than a fun trip. Psychologically this could end up reinforcing their idea of the dentist being a scary thing, and could cause you issues later if your child becomes older and harder to “bribe”.
Explain Why it’s Important to Go
If your child is old enough, another good option is simply to explain to them why exactly it’s important to go and what can happen otherwise, although make sure not to scare your child into going by exaggerating the dangers as that can do more harm than good. Try to explain that cavities are the ‘bad guys’ and that the dentist is a ‘good guy’ who is helping them ‘fight off’ the cavities. This method tends to be very effective, but it is very dependent on your child’s age and understanding.
