Dental care is important, it’s one of those areas of health where mistakes can last a long time. So we all need a good dentist to make sure nothing goes wrong. Dental care is even more relevant for kids who most of the time don’t brush their teeth that well and are more exposed to candy and other sweets.
However, kids aren’t traditionally big fans of dental care. Whether cartoons, films, or even instinct is to blame isn’t the point. What matters is to find a way to ease them into the idea of dental care. That’s why today we’ll share some ideas to make sure your kid becomes more accepting of these visits.
Break down the myths
The first thing that kids need to understand is that their ideas of a dental care appointment aren’t accurate. When you mention teeth kids assume it immediately goes to drills, braces, and pain in general; which we know isn’t the truth. So our first responsibility as parents is to find a way to ease their fears and let them know what happens in these appointments.
Talking of course goes a long way, and the older your kid is the more likely they will understand that fiction and reality aren’t quite the same. But for the youngest kids playing pretend can go a long way. Roleplay as a doctor and check their teeth, but make sure to be positive and reassuring through the entire process. If they start associating dental care with fun most of their fear will go away on their own.
Start at home
Appointments matter, but at the end of the day, they should be check-ups and not solutions. The easiest way to make sure any visits are painless and brief is to take matters into your own hands at home. Be thorough and dedicated when explaining to them how to brush. Check how they are doing from time to time to see if they are brushing properly. And of course, make sure to have lots of positive reinforcement at hand. If your kid associates proper brushing with a reason to be happy, or at least to make you happy they’ll be more committed to it.
Find a dental service that caters to children
Let’s be honest; any hospital or medical office can be scary regardless of age. So to make the process easier on your kid take a look at places that specifically aim at children. Some of these offices have games, toys, or at least TVs so they remain distracted while they wait. And even more importantly the staff is hired for their attentiveness and chemistry with kids. This means they’ll feel safe at every step of the experience, and as such dental care will become easier for both you and them.
