Helping Your Child Get Over the Fear of Dentists

11 December 2020
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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It is not uncommon for your child to fear the dentist or dental clinic; this can be because of the dental clinic setting, which might seem scary to them or the fact that your child associates the dental clinic with pain or discomfort. Here's what you need to do to ensure your child gets over the fear of dentists.

Visit A Paediatric Dentist

First, a paediatric dental clinic is usually set up in a way that makes it child friendly, meaning any piece of equipment that might scare a child is decorated in a way that makes a child comfortable. The walls are also painted in child-friendly colours, images or patterns; these colours keep your child excited and calm.

Secondly, a paediatric dentist is skilled and trained to handle different child behaviours; this means that they will make your child feel as comfortable as possible and know how to react if your child behaves in a particular way. Simply put, you can safely assume that paediatric dentists are child whisperers when it comes to calming them for a dental procedure; they make your child's dental experience as fun as possible. Paediatric dentists might, however, ask you, the parent or guardian, what things your child likes and what they do not; this helps them know how to treat your child better.

Play Pretend Dentist and Use Calming Words

When your child is at home, play dentist with them to make your child understand that dental procedures make them feel better. You can even look for children's songs that touch on dentistry and why it is important. Your child gets to see that dentists are specialists who mean well and, therefore, reduce their fear of dentists.

Avoid using terms that might make your child afraid; for example, do not insist that an injection is extremely painful. You can tell your child that the injections make them feel better and even play dentist in a way that portrays feeling slight pain and then recovering from your ailing tooth and pain immediately.

Reward Your Child

After a dental appointment, take your child somewhere they love or buy them a favourite food or toy. This can make your child accept to visit the dentist, knowing that afterwards they will get a reward. That is why most paediatric dentists offer a treat (for example, candy) after a dental procedure.

For more information, talk to your dentist.