Preparing Your Child For The First Dental Visit
Going to the dentist for the first time can be a scary and uncomfortable experience. If you are ready to schedule your child’s first dental appointment, Dr. Chloe Chen wants to help make your little one’s first visit a great experience!
To make a child’s first dental appointment a positive one, it requires healthy participation from everyone involved. The dentist should offer state-of-the-art pediatric dental services as well as a welcoming, child-friendly office to help the child feel safe and comfortable. However, a positive dental visit starts long before your child visits our office! We know that kiddos often experience apprehension or anxiety prior to their first appointment, which is why preparing your child matters. Parents have an important role to play and can help alleviate any fears or tears by following these 7 simple and effective steps.
1. Choose the right dentist.
Choosing a dentist that will help your child to feel comfortable and at ease is important to help your child have a great experience. Our kid-friendly team at Smiley Pearls dental clinic looks forward to welcoming you and your young child to our family. From the start, we are committed to providing excellent dental care to the Sachse, Murphy and Garland communities in order to lay a healthy foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles.
2. Share with your child what to expect.
The next best way to prepare for your child’s first visit is to share with them what they can expect to happen. Help them to imagine the visit by acting out the scenario together. Play dentist together and give a check up to a stuffed animal. This will help your child to mentally prepare for what to expect at the visit.
3. Use helpful resources.
Another way to help your child visualize the visit is to read story books or watch videos that will help your child understand what to expect. You can find lots of story books including some that feature their favorite characters, for example Elmo Visits the Dentist by P.J. Shaw. Watching their favorite character first may help to lessen their anxiety and put them at ease as they see what to expect.
For additional parent resources, visit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s resource page here: https://www.aapd.org/resources/parent/
4. Be positive!
Please make sure to only speak positively about visiting the dentist with your child. Perhaps you have had a painful experience or do not look forward to your own dental visits. Please do not share those hesitant feelings with your child as this will only add to their hesitations. Help your child to look forward to their appointment by sharing positive points about the dentist. Also, avoiding using trigger words such as “hurt” or “painful”. Even making the statement, “It won’t hurt.” can cause a child to immediately associate a dental visit with pain.
5. Schedule your appointment at the right time.
When bringing infants and toddlers to the dentist office, try to schedule the appointment for earlier in the day. Morning or after a nap and meal are usually the best times of day to schedule the appointment. Choosing a time of day when you know that your child is generally happy or content may help to keep tantrums and tears at bay.
Show up early to the appointment to allow your child time to explore the office and waiting room. A relaxed introduction will help them become comfortable in the new environment and feel more at ease.
6. Think about special accommodations.
Take time to think through what items will help them to feel relaxed and comfortable. If your toddler prefers the comfort of a favorite toy or blanket, please bring the item to the appointment. Feel free to also bring a favorite song to play or book to read while you are waiting. Allowing your child to bring something familiar may make a huge difference in having a successful trip to the dentist.
7. Anticipate follow-up visits.
Help your child prepare for their next visit by discussing their experience and reminding them of the positive things that happened. Highlight the interesting things they learned or the friendly people they met. Choose a few happy moments of the experience to talk about. This can simply reinforce the good visit and help them to remember these moments next time.
If you have any other questions about oral and dental health for your child, please call our office. Starting your child on a path to a lifetime of oral health begins at a young age. Dr. Chen and our team at Smiley Pearls strive to provide the best dental care for our littlest patients and love to see their confident, healthy smiles afterward!