How To Prepare Your Child For The Dentist
If you are taking your child to the dentist for the first time, it can be a nervous time, as you aren’t sure how they are going to react or behave. So, we have got some tips on how to prepare your child for the dentist to make it a really positive experience and to help instill a life long interest in their oral health! Even if you have a fear of the dentist for any reason, it is really important that you don’t let your child see this so that they don’t dread their appointment!
Play Pretend Dentist At Home
Our first tip to help you prepare your child for the dentist is to play pretend dentist at home. To do this, get out a few bits of equipment, maybe an empty mouthwash bottle refilled with water, toothbrush and toothpaste. You could play the dentist first and try to replicate the experience, from being let in to getting onto the chair and then having a little look in their mouth. They can then play the dentist and this will help them to associate something fun with their dentist experience. Finish by brushing your teeth and having a little chat about why visiting the dentist is so important!
Go For A Tour Of The Clinic
Going to the dentist for the first time as a child can be a really overwhelming experience, with all new things to see, different noises and smells. Trying to take all of this in, and then having an examination, can be really overwhelming. So, the best thing to do is arrange for you to have a tour with your child, to meet the dentist and the team and they will feel so much more relaxed! If you go to the same dentist, then maybe arrange your appointment a couple of weeks before theirs, so that they can go and see you have your check up and then go for their own at a later date.
Choosing a private dentist is really beneficial, as they will make sure that there are no long waiting times or rushed appointments, helping to create the best possible environment for your little ones!
Bring Their Comfort Item
Another tip is to take your children’s comfort item with them. This might be their favourite toy or blanket that just helps them to feel completely at ease. If they do feel a bit nervous experiencing so many new things, having something familiar with them could help to soothe them slightly!
Start As Early As Possible
Our final tip is to start taking them to the dentist as early as possible. Basically, as soon as your child has teeth, they can go the dentist! The earlier that they get started, visiting the dentist will just seem like another normal thing that they’re more than happy to do. Visiting the dentist is a really important part of your child’s health, so it should be a priority for them to go at least twice a …