Why Don’t Children Like The Dentist’s Office, And How Can I Help?
A dentist’s office is often a place packed with unfamiliar sounds, smells, and sights. Loud noises such as drilling could scare them, as could the sight of nervous adults milling around the waiting room. It’s not a surprise that so many children dislike spending time at the dentist’s office. This is perhaps especially true should the child in question have traumatizing or otherwise unpleasant experience at their first visit. This is why you should find a pediatric dentist’s office that has plenty of experience with dealing with children – an office that understands how to put children at ease and help make their visit a great one, like Star City Dental.
What Can I Do To Help Get My Child Ready For Their First Visit?
Children look to their guardians or parents and take cues from their behavior, particularly when they face something unfamiliar. Should you project anxiety, for example, your child might subconsciously become worried and concerned too.
If a child’s parent is worried, then it follows perfectly that the child in question would become scared, too, especially when facing an unfamiliar situation. Strive to relax and treat the dentist just like just any other part of the child’s day. Don’t refer to the visit using negative terms, but speak of it like you might any other appointment or office visit, instead. Should they be old enough, make sure that your child understands that the visit is important because it will help ensure that they stay healthy!
Avoid using words that have strong negative connotations as these might scare your child. Certain words sound more worrisome than others, in other words, and could create a predisposition in your child to dislike the visit. Some words you should avoid using include the following:
• | Blood |
• | Cut |
• | Drill |
• | Hurt |
• | Needle |
• | Numb |
• | Pain |
• | Shot |
Avoid words that could create a worrisome or negative image in the mind of your child. Consider talking about how visiting us can keep their teeth healthy and bright! This is a positive image that your child can hang on to while thinking about their visit to the dentist.
For more information about pediatric dentistry, contact Star City Dental today at (402) 858-0525! We are ready to help introduce your child to dentistry.