Dental visits for kids can be pleasant – even fun – experience for your kids. Our staff will spend a lot of time with your kids to help them feel comfortable and understand what they can expect. You can help us make their next visit a successful one by working with us to accomplish this goal!
Here’s what we suggest for positive dental visits for kids:
· Use only positive words when answering your kids’ questions. Soft, easy, fun and play are good words to use. Kids respond to your temperament and will usually do much better when the parent has a playful approach.
· Avoid using words like pain, hurt, needle and shot. These words make kids (and many adults) scared and anxious. We really work hard to ensure the comfort of all of our patients, but sometimes we see parents projecting their own fears onto their children. In the end, it is not helpful and often times wasted anxiety because of all that we do for the comfort of our patients.
· After treatment is completed, you can help continue the positive experience by praising your child and referring to the fun time they just had. Also, adding that we are all working together to ensure a healthy mouth which will help us have a healthy life.
· DON’T ask negative questions like Did it hurt? Were you scared? Did you get a shot? These comments could make your child think that there was a reason to be afraid even though they were cooperative and had a good time. It might also make them afraid of future visits. So keep all the conversation about the dentist positive.
If your child receives any kind of anesthesia, assure them that their “tickly” or “sleepy” tongue will go away in no time. Most kids don’t mind the numbness, and some even think it’s fun – that’s a good thing.