If you haven’t ever taken your child to the dentist before, it is more than normal for that child to be a little apprehensive. There are several things that you can do to help your child feel prepared and confident when they walk through the doors of their dentist’s office. Smile Reef is here to share some tips to help you prepare your child for their first visit to the dentist.
Tips to Prepare a Child for Their First Visit to the Dentist
As a parent, there are many things that you can do to help you child feel cool and collected about their first visit to the dentist. Here are our best tips:
– Find the Right Dentist: There are some dentists that are going to work better with your child than another. Finding the right dentist to work with your child is going to be important. Using a pediatric dentist is going to help your child a great deal. They have years of experience working with young children and helping them feel comfortable.
– Be Positive: There are studies that show when parents have anxiety about going to the dentist it can pass along to their children. Talking positively about your experience and how much they are going to love this new adventure can be extremely impactful for your child. They will feel much calmer about going if you are calm.
– Role Play: Doing a little role playing can help your child feel ready for the dentist as well. Creating a make-believe dentist office and pretend to be a dentist who counts their teeth and give them a little tooth cleaning with their toothbrush. Keep things simple, but this little bit of role playing can prove to be just what your child needs to feel confident about what to expect when they sit in the dentist’s chair for the first time.
– Read Some Books: There are several books about going to the dentist to help your child know what to expect from the appointment. It can help to see their favorite characters going to the dentist in their storybooks. There are many books written about this so you can read more than one prior to the appointment.
– Bring a Comfort Item: Your child might have a special blanket or stuffed animal that can help them feel more at ease when they are in new environments. It is definitely encouraged to bring those items if they can help you child feel calmer when sitting in the dentist’s chair.
Pediatric Dentistry
If your child hasn’t ever been to the dentist before, you can rely on the pediatric dentists at Smile Reef to help make their first appointment a success. We will help your child feel comfortable and ensure that their oral health is what it needs to be. It is our goal to make your child’s first trip to the dentist a success. Call us today!