Kids and Teeth from Babyhood to University

Choosing a child-friendly dentist is essential if you have little ones, and if your kids are prone to cavities, it's even more essential to pick a professional who is willing to work with you and meet your child's needs. To find a family dentist who will work for even the little ones in your family, keep these tips in mind:

1. Exercise Caution When Picking a Dentist with a Child Friendly Waiting Room

Some dentists have waiting rooms filled with exciting toys ranging from video game consoles to climbing walls. If you have a kid who hates the dentist, a waiting room like this may be the perfect way to get your child to change his or her mind on dentistry.

However, if your child is easily overstimulated, you may want to look for a family dentist who has a more normative waiting room. A simple TV playing a video may be enough for your child.The busy nature of a waiting room with a lot of toys may stress your child out and ruin the dental experience.

2. Consider If "prizes" Fit with Your Lifestyle

If you have a kid who loves gifts, a dentist who offers "prizes" for good behaviour in the dental chair may be perfect for your family. However, before selecting a dentist with a treasure chest, consider the nature of the prizes. If they are small plastic trinkets that don't fit with your ideas of environmentalism (because they break quickly and get sent straight to the landfill), you may want to choose another professional, one who doesn't offer prizes.

3. Look for Flavoured Nitrous Oxide

If your child needs any work done, he or she will need to be sedated. Look at the options the dentists has for sedation. Does the dentist have child friendly options? Does he or she have flavoured nitrous oxide? If your child can choose a flavour such as bubblegum or strawberry, he or she may be more willing to let the dental work happen without complaint.

4. Ask a Test Question

If you want to see if a dentist is a good fit for your family and your parenting strategy, come up with a test question to ask during the dentist review process. For example, you could ask dentists what they do if a child bites them or you could ask dentists if they believe in restraining children who are too wiggly.

Use the answers as a guide to determine if the dentist is a good fit for you and your beliefs on how children should be treated.

5. Look for a Proven Record of Working with Kids

Kids can be difficult for some dentists. They have small mouths and an inability to sit still for long periods of time. If you want to be assured a dentist (like those at Buderim Marketplace Dental) can handle your kids, ask him or her about his or her experience with other little ones.