Establishing good cleaning habits at a young age and making your children feel comfortable at the dentist are crucial to their future dental health. Read on to learn more about a few tips to help your kids build a positive relationship with their dentist.
Prepare for the Visit Read books that feature characters going to the dentist in the weeks before your child's appointment. Watch videos of dental procedures with older children so they know what to expect. Take time to prepare children before the appointment instead of dropping the news on them at the last minute. Children only see dentist twice a year in most cases. Talking about the dentist frequently keeps the experience fresh in their mind. This way it stays a familiar and comfortable, experience from visit to visit. Source: Colgate Do a Meet and Greet Did you know that you can bring your child to the dentist's office to get acquainted before the day of their actual checkup? "If kids -- or parents -- are nervous I always recommend that they visit the office prior to their appointment so they can meet the staff, see where they'll sit and find out what to expect during the exam," says Lezli Levene Harvell, D.M.D., a board-certified pediatric dentist in Newark, New Jersey, and mother of five who has treated her fair share of reluctant patients. "Coming to the dentist can be a bit of an overload. By visiting first kids can get acclimated and come back another day knowing what to expect. It's a great tool that is completely underutilized." Source: Parents Schedule Appointments with The Same Hygienist This study revealed that children have strong perceptions and preferences regarding dental visits and dentists. The majority (63%) of the children in this study reported that they liked their visit to the dentist which is consistent with the results of other studies that have examined children’s attitudes toward dental care. However, dental practitioners should be concerned by the fact that 11% of children in this study reported that they disliked their visit and another 12% reported that they were afraid of the dentist. The purpose of identifying children’s attitudes towards their dentists is to effect positive changes or adjustments that would make children more comfortable in the dentist’s office and improve the quality of dental visits. Children in this study indicated that they would prefer to be treated by a dentist of the same gender. Assigning children to dentists of the same gender may improve the general comfort level of children in the dentist’s office. Source: NCBI Teaching children about good dental health is important for their ability to look after their oral health as adults. If you’d like more tips or to schedule an appointment, contact us now! Contact: Sound Smiles Pediatric Dentistry 1901 S Union Ave B6005, Tacoma, WA 98405 (253) 448-8140
1 Comment
6/6/2019 04:54:31 pm
I like your tip to take time to prepare children before their dental appointment instead of dropping the news on them at the last minute. I am trying to get my son ready to visit his pediatric dentist for the first time. I think that talking to him about beforehand and helping him get ready would help make sure that we were both less stressed out and that the appointment would go better.
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