6 Great Tips to Help Your Kid Overcome Dental Phobia

Does your child fear to see the dentist? If yes, then he/she is not alone. Infact, most adults do not want to visit a dentist even for their routine checkups. The consequences of not going to regular dental checkups particularly during the critical growth and development years of your child, sets the stage for further problems down the road. Check out 6 tips to help your child feel more comfortable and relaxed during dental checkups.

1. Begin at a young age – You should take your child to the experienced dentist near you when they have not developed any idea about dental visits. Your baby’s first cleaning should be done when their first baby teeth appear and this is the right time to start. Parents who decide to wait till their child grows will find that they are scared of seeing a dentist even when they become old.
2. Search for a good dentist – It is important to find a good dentist for your child to overcome dental phobia at an early age. Make sure the dental practitioner behaves like a friend with your child from the initial years to help him/her get rid of the fear and discomfort that they have in their mind. This will make their trip to the dentist’s clinic comfortable and much relaxed. 
3. Choose the right words about a dentist – Children are very sensitive and parents should not use certain words like “pain”, “hurt” and “shot” when describing a dentist. These words will make your child feel more frightened about seeing a dentist for checkups. Try to focus on positive aspects of the dental visit such as the free toothbrush that he gives as gift or the toys provided at the clinic.
4. Start with role play with your child – Before you take your child for oral checkups, you can always stage a role play and act as a dentist. You can even change roles with your kid so that he/she can play both as the dentist and the patient. All you will require is a toothbrush for your kid and a chair. Do not make those drilling noises or use anything similar to dental instruments at home since this may increase your child’s fear in seeing a dentist.
5. Ensure complete comfort – When the appointment day arrives, parents should stay prepared for the tears and full-on-tantrums of their kids. This is quite normal that the dentist will have to experience for every child who visit their clinic. However, both the dentist and their staff ensure to provide full comfort and see that you do not get frustrated or anxious with your kid.
6. Make your child feel distracted – The dentist keeps toys, books and puzzles to distract the attention of your child in the waiting room. While sitting in the dentist’s clinic, some of them offer game devices or headphones to amuse your child or play cartoons to distract their mind at the time of cleaning. These extra amenities are great ways to make your kid feel relaxed during the visit.

Parents can always give some gifts to their child after their dental appointment. Sometimes, the dentist keeps small toys that they give as prizes to kids. Make sure you praise your baby once you find that they have finally been able to overcome the dental phobia. You may contact a private dentist near you to get more information about our dentists and their effective treatments.