Taking your child to see a dentist in Seminole, FL, is necessary to keep their teeth healthy and to promote good oral hygiene habits as your child grows. But from your child’s point of view, this dentist’s trip can be stressful and nerve-wracking. For example, lying on a chair in an unfamiliar room with strange objects and unfamiliar noises while a stringer is poking your mouth with cold metallic and unusual medical instruments can be scary.
In fact, approximately 20% of school-going children are afraid of visiting their dentist. Unfortunately, this can have both short and long-term impacts on your child’s oral health. In the short term, your child may fail to receive important treatments that help them maintain healthy oral hygiene. However, in the long term, your child may suffer from serious oral health issues unless this phobia is overcome, and they can visit their dentist in Seminole, FL, 33778, for regular dental cleanings.
Dr. Cecilia Sorelle understands how common this fear is for young children. Therefore, she is committed to doing everything to ensure that her pediatric dental patients enjoy a relaxing and comfortable experience every time they visit Dental Arts Seminole.
However, to help your child overcome their fear of the dental visit, here are four tips that you can take to help them. These include:
- Have Your Child Meet the Dentist Before-hand
Bringing your child to our dental office in Seminole before the actual appointment can help them familiarize themselves with the new environment and help alleviate any anxiety. Most of the time, children may become scared of new environments. Eliminate this by letting your child learn the surroundings and meet the staff.
If possible, try and have the dentist and the staff have a little chat with your child. By meeting these people, your child will be less anxious and more comfortable during the actual appointment.
- Create Positive Reinforcement for Your Child
Praise your kid for making it through their dental treatment or exam, and tell them that you are proud of them. You can do so by giving them stickers or choosing a movie to watch at night. A visit to the zoo or their favorite playground can also reinforce good behavior on the dental chair.
Pediatric dentists are used to kids having temper tantrums and being afraid, so do not scold your child or get angry if they don’t act right. This will worsen and may equate the negativity with their pediatric dentist in Seminole, FL. Instead, praise them for behaving well, talk about how they behaved, and go over ways to help them in the next appointments.
- Choose Positive, Less Daunting Words Around Your Child
Avoid using the ‘S’ (shot), ‘H’ (hurt), or ‘P’ (pain) words with your child. Instead, let the dental team introduce their vocabulary to children to help them overcome difficult situations. For example, your dentist may suggest that you tell your child that the dentist will check their smile and count the number of teeth.
A parent should use phrases like strong, clean, and healthy teeth to encourage their child to visit the dentist. This makes the trip sound fun rather than alarming and scary. Your choice of words will help set the tone for a positive experience.
If you don’t know the right terms to use, you can either ask the pediatric dentist about the words they think will be appropriate or just let them describe the parts of the procedure that can make the child so anxious.
- Explain to Your Child Why a Dentist Visit is Important
A dental visit is a necessity and not a choice. Explain this to your child and make sure that they understand that the holidays are important because the dentist will help take care of their teeth to be strong enough for them to eat.
You may also explain to them that the dentist will help keep cavities at bay, and they will ensure that their patients have an aesthetically beautiful smile for years to come. The dentist always advises the parents to have a positive attitude regarding dental visits. This will set a stage for what the child expects to achieve excellent oral health care.
