Here are two tips for parents whose child needs to go to the dentist.
They should try to prepare their child for their dentist appointment
It's common for children who don't have experience undergoing children's dentistry treatments to be nervous about their first dentist appointment. If a parent notices that their child seems apprehensive, they should try to prepare them for their upcoming visit to the dentist. Ensuring that the child views their dental appointments in a positive light and that they feel calm and secure when they go to the dentist, will greatly reduce the risk of the child developing a phobia of the dentist. It will also reduce the chances of them getting upset at the appointment and the dentist being unable to examine their teeth as a result of this.
One step a parent can take to prepare their child is to read some books related to children's dentistry with them. These books usually describe the type of treatments a child may have at a children's dentistry practice in an informative but light-hearted way and feature fun and colourful dental illustrations. They can help a child to better understand the important role dental visits play in keeping their teeth strong and healthy and can help them to see dental treatments as something that will improve their life. In addition to reading these books, parents can chat with their children about their own positive visits to the dentist and how these appointments have fixed any dental issues they had.
They should try to visit their local children's dentistry practice before their child's appointment
If possible, parents should take their child for a visit to the local children's dentistry practice before their first appointment. This will give the child the chance to familiarise themselves with this new environment before they have to have any dental treatments there. Most children's dentistry practices have toys and games in their waiting rooms, colourful decor and a generally pleasant, uplifting atmosphere that is designed to make the children who have treatments feel as happy and calm as possible.
As such, when a child visits this type of practice with their parents prior to their appointment, it can often assuage any anxiety they may have about their dental appointment. If it's not feasible for the parents to take their child for a pre-appointment visit to the practice, they should look at the practice's website instead, as there might be photos of the clinic's waiting rooms and treatment rooms on the site that they can show to their child.
For more information, reach out to a local dental clinic, like Geelong Dental Group.
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