2 Ways to Help Your Child Not Be Afraid of the Dentist

If you are worried about taking your child to the dentist, it can be difficult to take them, since you know that it's going to turn into a whole big production. You may worry about them getting a dental phobia, dreading dealing with their teeth, or just plain melting down every time you have to take them. There are things that you can do that will help your child deal with going to the dentist and make sure that their teeth are healthy for a lifetime 

Practice Through Role Playing

One thing you can do is to role play going to the dentist with your child. There are different ways that you can do that, but one way is that you can take turns pretending that you are the dentist. You can pretend to be the dentist and look at your child's teeth, and then let them do the same thing to you.

You could also use a favorite dolly or stuffed animal and let your child check out their toy's teeth. If they get to have a little bit of control over the situation, that can help to conquer their fear. As a way to carry that role-playing through, you can let your child take their toy to the dentist with them and ask the dentist to check over the toy as well. 

Take Your Child to See a Pediatric Dentist

Another way to help your child not be afraid to go to the dentist is to make sure that you are going to a pediatric dentist. Those dentists are going to have offices that are child-friendly. That can include things like brightly colored walls or pictures for kids to look at, as well as exam rooms that aren't as bright so that they are more soothing to little eyes. Those rooms may also have some of the equipment hidden so that it doesn't scare the kids.

Some pediatric dentists may also mount TVs up where the kids can watch them so that your child can be distracted that way. The dentist may be able to offer your child some headphones to listen to the TV and block out the sounds, which can help with distraction. 

Your child needs to see a dentist regularly, and it's something they will continue to need for the rest of their life. Learn more by contacting local dentists such as George J Mendel DMD.


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