Are you looking for excellent dental treatment for your children? Finding the right pediatric dentistry can be difficult. There are very specific things that need to be in place. Children tend to be scared of the dentist; adults often are as well, which doesn’t help. However, a good dentist knows that this is the case and will put certain practices in place to help calm them as they come in. There are things that you, as the parent, can do as well in order to ensure excellent dental treatment for you children. Here are a few of those two ideas.
As the parent you can….
- Start taking them young.
It is recommended to start taking your child to the dentist on or around their first birthday. You can take them every six months from that point. This way they will have been going regularly to the dentist since they can remember and will likely be very used to it. It’s also a good idea to take them to the same pediatric dental practice all the time. The more they familiarize themselves with the office and the staff, the more comfortable they will be and the more excellent dental treatment they will be able to receive. - Help them express what they are feeling.
Let your kids know that it’s okay to talk about how they feel about the dentist. Don’t dismiss their opinions and emotions. Be approachable and let the children come to you in their own time. If there is something about the dentist that they don’t like, this could be hindering them from getting the excellent dental treatment that they deserve. Pay close attention to the dentist the next time you are there and see if their fears are grounded. If so, change dentists. If not, help them to figure out how to get through them without feeling silly or like you aren’t listening to them. - Keep your own emotions in check.
When our children goes through pain or something major, it’s hard for us as parents to stay calm. However, children glean so much from their parents, including their emotions. If you stay calm and in control it will be a lot easier for your child to do the same. If you begin to panic and freak out, their stability will be ripped out from under them and they will do the same, only at a much more expressive and hazardous level.
As the dentist, they should…
- Provide a friendly atmosphere.
The dentist office should be an attractive place. Having lots of colors and toys around is a great idea. In the waiting room there could be computers to play on for the older children, books to read, toys to play with and/or a television with cartoons playing for them to watch. Keeping kids engaged is a good way to stop them from thinking so much about the appointment. If they like the things that they get to do when you are at the dentist, they may even look forward to the appointments. Of course the balloons and prizes they should receive after the appointment are a bonus to. - Speak so the child understands.
If the dentist is constantly using big words or medical terminology, this can scare the kids because they don’t understand what is going on. Look for a dentist that will talk about teeth and the potential problems with teeth in a way that kids can understand. It’s only then that they will start implementing the advice that the dentist gives them. - Be friendly and attentive.
A dentist that ignores the kids should not be working in a pediatric facility. The dentist should be kind and friendly towards the children and chat with them to keep their mind off of the actual appointment. This is also a great way for the dentist to find out what kind of at home oral habits the kids have so that he or she can help them. The dentist should also listen when the kids talk and respond appropriately.
Make sure that you find a good dentist that your kids will respond to and like going to. That will make it so much easier for you to take them. It could actually be a great experience.
