Hi! Dr. Heller and Dr. Elger here again! Your child is due for their dental exam and the last visit did not go so well… now what??
First and foremost, you are not alone! According to some studies, up to 20% of children and adolescents have dental anxiety. Let’s think about why…
Going to the dentist can feel intimidating due to the “unknowns” as a patient. We promise that every single instrument we use is harmless and is used gently to serve a special purpose for the sake of your teeth. We are also very much “all up in” your personal space (let us just apologize now😉)!! Maybe your child has overheard you talking about going to the dentist as “not so fun”, something you didn’t mean for them to overhear… however, as we both know all too well, kids are ALWAYS listening! Maybe you LOVE going to the dentist and you simply don’t understand why your child won’t cooperate! We can personally relate to this as we LOVE our own personal dental visits yet Dr. Elger’s middle child is the epitome of “trouble” in the dental chair. 😉
So the question is… what can you do to help better understand your child’s thoughts and feelings about the dentist so that you can help to prepare them for a positive experience?
Spoiler alert… we do not have a single, magic answer that fits for everyone. We do have some tips and tricks to help you find the answer that works for YOUR child, because, well, every child is different (and that’s a good thing)!
We can only speak to how we care for children in our office. Many dental offices are WONDERFUL at caring for children’s dental anxiety and the most important lesson we want for you to take away from this article is that you must find the dentist that your child connects with. One way to find out if your personal dentist is the right fit for your child is to ask the office if you can bring your child along to your next routine visit (some offices may have strict regulations on how many people are allowed in the treatment rooms due to Covid, so be sure to call ahead). We love offering this at our office because it allows for a simple and fun “visit” to the dentist for the child where they don’t even have to open their mouth for us! Plus, they get a chance to play in the play room which often leads to excitement for their VERY OWN returning appointment.
If your child had a tough time at their first routine visit at the office, we may recommend some things that you can do between visits so that the next visit will be more comfortable.
- READ a book about going to the dentist.
- TALK to your child about why it is important to go to the dentist and that it can be fun. Be sure to talk positively (even if you are not a big fan of going to the dentist yourself). Remember, kids are always listening, are incredibly smart, and never seem to forget a thing they hear. 😁
- PLAY “dentist” with your child…either you or your child can be the “dentist” and a stuffy can be the “patient”.
- WATCH a positive video about going to the dentist.
Here at Dr. Jennifer Burge Heller Family Dental, your child’s experience is VERY important to us. We are so thankful when parents join in to do their part in helping their child to have a LIFETIME of healthy teeth (with positive dental experiences)! Every time your child comes to see us they will be more apt to trust us and they will grow to understand that visiting our office isn’t scary! Some children may not be cooperative at their first, second, or even third visit, but eventually (if we all keep with it) your child will learn to cooperate and become a GREAT dental patient!
What if we find cavities at your child’s visit and they won’t even cooperate for an exam?? This is a great question and we hope you keep an eye out for the answer in our next blog post!! Until then…
Keep Smiling!
