How to Make the First Visit to the Dentist a Pleasant One For Your Child

Going to the dentist constitutes many a child’s nightmares. As much as possible, you want your child’s first visit to the dentist as pleasurable or at least as minimally traumatic as possible. There are some preparations you can do to make the image of the dentist in landau scrubs a friendly and nonthreatening figure in the mind of your child. Ideally, your child should make the first visit to the dentist before his or her first birthday as recommended by The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. However, most first year visits are accompanied by shots and immunization which are understandably traumatizing. You can help your child be less apprehensive about the first visit to the dentists by creating a positive experience early on. Below are some helpful tips for doing this.

Fostering good dental habits

As early as possible, get your child used to dental care and hygiene by buying dental paraphernalia designed for kids. You can get colorful toothbrush with soft bristles and an attractive handle shaped into a dinosaur or a puppy. The handle should be small enough so that your child can grip it comfortably and safely. Purchase a mild toothpaste especially formulated for toddlers or kids. Regular toothpaste may be too strong for your child’s palette and reject it instantly or cry when it’s teeth brushing time.

Making dental hygiene fun

You can prepare your child for the first time visit to the dentist by looking inside your child’s mouth at least once a day and talking about their teeth—counting how many your child has using a nursery rhyme, for example. Use a mirror so that your child can see his or her own set of teeth and show them how squeaky clean their teeth are and how fresh their breath is after brushing.

Choosing a dentist

There are many pediatric dentists, specializing in child care. It is often better to get a pediatric dentist for your child over a regular dentist because pediatric dentists’ clinics are often decorated in bright and fun colors that your child will feel good and jolly about. More importantly, pediatric dentists are specialists who have received two years of additional training, learning about child behavior, and the mental development, physical growth and special needs of children in dental treatment and management. While a regular dentist can treat your child, a pediatric office will be more fun and stimulating and make the experience for your child more pleasurable. A lot of these pediatric clinics have fun patient room, child-oriented waiting rooms, and treats, goodies and toys for children.

Offering reassurance

Try to make the visit exciting by talking to your child about the cool things that dentists do such as making the teeth feel like brand new, fresh and squeaky clean and all the high-tech instruments that the dentists use. During the visit, if your child shows anxiety, the dentist might ask you to sit with your child and hold his or her hand. Offer reassurance to your child and make the patient room seem like an exciting yet comfortable place.