Sometimes, children hear negative things about visiting the dentist and worry about going for the first time. Here are some tips to help ease your child’s nerves so that his or her first dental visit can be a pleasant experience:
Don’t prepare them by saying things like, “I know you are scared, but it won’t hurt much,” or “You will be in big trouble if you don’t behave at the dentist.” Phrases like these indicate that there will be some pain involved or that going to the dentist will be a scary experience
Don’t talk about negative experiences you have had at the dentist.
Practice counting your child’s teeth by placing a toothbrush on each tooth and counting each one. Tell your child that the dentist is going to count his or her teeth and then clean them. This will help them to know what to expect so that they can be more at ease before the visit
When you talk to your children about going to the dentist, act like it is no big deal. You can also tell them that they will get a prize after the visit so they have something to look forward to.
If your child is still afraid of coming to the dentist, we can have the first appointment be a “happy visit.” We will let them ride up and down in the dental chair, suck the water out of a cup with the suction, “Mr. Thirsty,” and choose a prize at the end. This will make them much more relaxed when they come for their real visit
Once your child feels confident about going to the dentist, every visit will be worry-free