12 Ways To Help Prevent Or Conquer Your Child’s Fear Of The Dentist

The onset of many phobias and fears often happens in childhood, and dental anxiety is no exception. This is why it is so important for us as parents and dental professionals to work together to nip this problem in the bud. By allaying your child’s fears of the dentist now, we can have a significant and long-lasting positive impact on him throughout his adulthood as well, thereby helping to ensure a lifetime of good oral health.

Here are some tips that can help prevent your child from having fears of the dentist or diminish any dental phobias which you may have already identified in your little one.

• DO start getting your child accustomed to visits to the dentist early on. We start seeing kids around the age of two, even if it’s just for a quick and complimentary get-to-know-you appointment. That way he will have positive associations with the dentist and get accustomed to people looking into and touching his mouth.

• DO learn about and practice good oral hygiene routines at home, starting from infancy. Even before your baby has teeth, use a finger cot or washcloth to clean her gums after each feeding. This is an excellent way to help prepare her for regular toothbrushing and future dental exams and cleanings when she is older.
• DON’T lie to your child or make promises you cannot keep about his upcoming appointments. For example, do not tell him that he won’t experience any pain whatsoever as he may experience some momentary discomfort. Not telling the truth will only cause distrust in the future and leave your child with negative feelings about the dentist.
• DON’T praise your child in advance of, during or after a visit to the dentist for being “brave”. So often I hear well-intentioned parents trying to verbally reward their children for being courageous at the office, not realizing that in doing so, they are inadvertently sending the message that there is something to be fearful of in the first place.
• DO seek out a dental office that is “kid-friendly” meaning they are both receptive to and experienced with treating children who have dental-related fears. My staff and I find it to be extremely rewarding to gain the confidence and win the affection of our younger patients, allaying their fears and making visits to our office fun. They especially love our “Cavity-Free Kids’ Club” and the ability to watch their favourite tv shows and videos while receiving their cleanings, exams and dental treatment.
• DO inform your dental office in advance if you know or suspect that your child is fearful of his upcoming appointment. This will help them prepare in advance for your visit and enable you to discuss whether that particular office is indeed the right place for your child to be treated.
• DO talk about the dentist in a positive light, read books about visits to the dentist and discuss how important it is to have clean teeth.
• DO engage in pretend play about visits to the dentist’s office. Have your child sit on a reclining chair or the sofa and pretend to conduct a dental exam so he’ll know what to expect when he comes into the office for his first real visit.
• DON’T impart your fears onto your child. If you have a dental phobia, it is best that your child get no sense of it. Watch even subtle signals of fear you might inadvertently be sending out through facial expressions and body language. If you find this to be too difficult to do, perhaps let your partner bring your child in for her appointment instead of you if this is possible.
• DO use kid-friendly language. Avoid ominous-sounding terms like “plaque” and replace them with words like “sugar bugs”. Talk about how the people will be “counting her teeth” instead of “conducting a dental exam.” Take the lead from an experienced dental professional who knows all of the vocabularly that can help to put a child at ease.
• DO avoid bribery. Again, this will suggest that there is something bad that your child must endure in order to gain a reward. You can and many offices including ours do provide your child with a little toy at the end of her visit, but don’t make it conditional on good behaviour from the beginning.
• DO teach your child about the importance of good oral hygiene in a positive way. Teach your child that visiting the dentist is a necessity, not a choice. Explain that visits to the dentist are important so he can have strong teeth and a beautiful smile for many years to come.

Steven Deskin is a Brantford Dentist in general practice.