How to Prepare Your Child for a Visit With Your Kid Friendly Dentist

Anyone who has taken a child or a tween to the dentist knows that youngsters detest the dental chair even if there is a kid friendly dentist providing the treatment. Thankfully, you are not completely powerless in this situation. Below, we outline some strategies to help prepare your child for a visit with  a kid friendly dentist.

Implement these tips and you will find you little one’s visit with the dentist proves that much less dramatic.

Explain What Will Happen at the Dentist’s Office

Your child needs to know exactly what will happen during the treatment or procedure so he can feel as comfortable as possible. This means you will have to find out the details of the procedure and communicate them to your little one. Once he or she knows what the upcoming treatment involves, it will not seem nearly as intimidating.

Make the Visit to the Dentist as Fun as Possible

If your dentist's waiting area does not have anything geared toward kids, your child might not be receiving treatment from a truly kid friendly dentist. You can help by making the waiting room experience as enjoyable as possible. Bring along some toys or play games with pen and paper. You can also bring along a book or have you child watch a video with headphones on a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device.

Keep your child comfortable, entertained and mentally focused on something other than the upcoming experience and you will enjoy a graceful transition to the treatment. As long as your child is in a decent mood and somewhat preoccupied with the waiting room activity, the wait until reaching to the dentist's chair will feel surprisingly short.

Consider a Visit Before the Actual Appointment

If your child is especially nervous about visiting with a kid friendly dentist, it might help to bring him or her in for a brief visit. Let them walk around the office, take a look at the facility, sit in the chair and speak with the staff. This pre-appointment visit will go a long way in calming your child.

Timing is Everything

The time of your child's dental appointment matters a great deal. Consider the time of day when your child tends to be sleepy, alert, angry, calm and so on. Try to schedule his or her dental exam at the optimal time of day.

Stay Positive When Discussing the Dentist

When speaking to your little one about the upcoming dental exam, do not invoke fear or be negative in any way. Speak positively about dental cleanings and treatments. Do not use words like “hurt”, “drill” and “pain”. Let your child know the dentist will use special tools to keep his or her teeth in tip-top shape. Your child should know healthy people visit the dentist at least two times each year. Getting your kids in the habit of going to the dentist on a regular basis at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of oral health.