According to dental experts, your child should have their first dental visit on or before their first birthday and every six months after that. Doing so will help your child have a jumpstart on dental and oral care. It will also help them not be afraid during their checkups.

Now that you know when to have your child’s first dental visit, how would you encourage them to do so in the first place? Here are five tips to help your child be brave and excited for their first dental visit:

Tip #1: Use Positive and Fun Language

Most people are afraid of going to dental clinics after hearing stories from people who had painful experiences. These horror stories are even scarier for little kids. Therefore, you should be careful with the words you speak to them. Doing so may help ease their fear and worry.

Use positive and fun words such as:

  • Fun
  • Tickle
  • Baby tooth
  • Adventure

And avoid using negative words such as:

  • Hurt
  • Pain
  • Blood
  • Sharp

Tip #2: Read Them Books Related to Dental Care

Kids have curious minds, and they would be willing to listen to stories. Consider reading them bedtime stories about dental visits or tooth fairies. Doing so will not only entertain them, but it will help ease the fear they may have.

Bedtime is the best time for you to read them stories because:

  1. It is most likely the time that their mind and body are calm and relaxed.
  2. Their bed is a familiar and safe environment for them.

In short, reading them bedtime stories about dental care and visits would not scare them so much. Make sure to read stories that are fun and adventurous to help them have a positive outlook about dental visits.

Tip #3: Tag Them Along During Your Dental Visit

Another great tip to get them ready for their first dental visit is to tag them along with you during your checkups. Let them see for themselves how a dental clinic looks, how it smells, who the people there are, and what exactly everyone does at that place.

Doing so will help them get familiar with the dentist. This means that when they have their first checkup, they wouldn’t feel scared or anxious about the experience. If your dental clinic also has a pediatric dentist, it would be best to have their first checkup at the same clinic as well. At least in that way, they wouldn’t feel unfamiliar with the environment.

Another thing to remember is to make sure that you tag them along on your regular checkups but not during extraction or cavity filling sessions. Also, make them see that you are not scared so they wouldn’t feel scared as well. Remember that your child may adopt your attitude, too.

Conclusion

Getting your child prepared and ready for their first-ever dental visit may be challenging, especially if they have initially heard horror stories about it. As a parent, you should know how to comfort and encourage your child in such situations. Make sure to use fun and simple language when explaining the importance of dental care to them. Reading books and tagging them along on your dental checkups will help ease the fear that they have.

If you are looking for a pediatric dentist in Edmonton that you can trust for your child, get in touch with us. Our best and professional dentists will make sure that your child is safe and well-educated about dental and oral care on their first and following checkups. Contact us today to book an appointment.

Posted in Dental News & Advice