5 Tips to Help Kids Overcome Fear of Dentists

Do you remember your first visit to the dentist? You might have thought it was one of the scariest moments of your young life!

Venturing into the unknown, especially as a child, can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, dentists are going above and beyond in making the experience and their offices more kid-friendly than ever before. Especially if you are taking your child to a dentist that specializes in pediatrics.

At Great Hill Dental in Somerville, you can expect a top-notch service for young patients, no matter how afraid your child initially is-and don't worry!

Although you may not think anything of it, since it is such a common fear, it can have a negative impact on your child's oral health-both short and long term.  

Regular cleanings are important-even when you think that your child will lose his or her teeth. They need to come in regularly so they're able to maintain good oral health, setting themselves up for a lifetime of healthy habits. 

But what if the dentist's office is still scary for your child? 

In this article, we're going to help come up with a few tips to help you ease your child's fear of coming to the dentist. 

Tips for the First Visit to the Dentist

In order to help your child get over their fears and through the doors of their first dental visit, here are some easy-to-follow tips:

1. Start 'em young. Just like with any form of training or educating, if you introduce your child to the dentist at a young enough age, they will not have developed the other experiences telling them that it will be uncomfortable. The earlier you bring them in, the easier it will become that your child will accept visits to the dentist as part of their yearly checkup. You can even bring your child in half a year after they get their first teeth! 

2. Prepare them beforehand with a pre-appointment. Instead of having the first appointment being the real deal, you can arrange a pre-appointment. This is where you bring your child by and meet your dentist face-to-face-without all the tools. You can introduce your child to the doctor, the staff, and the area so they are familiar with the environment. 

3. If you're calm, they're calm. When you act alarmed by your child's anxiety during or before a visit, they tend to feed off that energy. From before the appointment takes place to the time leading up to it to the appointment itself, you'll need to try your best to use positive language and put on a calm demeanor. Instead of focusing on negative language, like "pain" or "shot", use other words, like "clean" and "healthy". Dentists are also trained to help ease anxiety during the appointment-especially if you choose a dentist that focuses on pediatric dentistry. Pediatric dentist offices also often have distracting toys, games, and prizes for a fun, dental environment and experience.

4. Rewards are never a bad thing! If you have to go through a not-so-great experience, what's the first you think of when you're through with it? Rewarding yourself, of course. Having something for your child to look forward to, like their favorite movie or a trip to the aquarium, planned for after the appointment can help ease the anxiety and help them focus on the positive things planned for the day. 

5. And finally, make sure they understand that this visit is very important. If you don't convey that going to the dentist is a necessity, they might view it as a choice-which can harm them later on when developing poor health habits. However, having them understand how important it is to go to the dentist and maintain a healthy oral hygiene regimen can help ease anxiety and eliminate fear. If they are thinking that this is the responsible thing to do, they'll be able to focus on that, instead.

Your kid is not alone in their fears. Actually, about one-fifth of school-age children are afraid of the dentist. With something so common as this, you can expect that there are plenty of tips in place to help kids overcome their fear. We hope this article has helped you with this!