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How to Help Your Child Overcome Their Fear of the Dentist's Office

I have blogged on children's fear of the dentist before, focusing on the familial aspect involved in that development but emotional transference may be a hard thing to control. Children may start to develop dental fear and anxiety, making a trip to the dentist quite the experience. Targeting that fear while the child is still young may help reduce it so that the child will have an easier time going to the dentist in the future.  Here are some tips to help your children feel more comfortable going to the dentist:

Take Them Earlier

New places, with new sights and sounds, can often be overstimulating and anxiety-provoking for children. Taking them with you to your appointment or an older siblings may help get the child more used to the dental office before they become the patient themselves.  Those small steps help the child acclimate slowly instead of making the child take it all in at once which may help to reduce the initial fear of the office.

Try to Avoid Scary Words

Even if your child starts to develop dental problems early on, try to avoid using fear-provoking words, such as "pain" and "shot".  It is even suggested that parents attempt to refrain from using a negative tone when they talk about the dental office with their children.  The dental office staff can discuss those potentially scary situations in a more reassuring way which may help reduce the risk of the child developing a fear of the dentist.

Don't Try to Relate to Their Fear

Many parents also suffer from some sort of dental anxiety and while they think they are reassuring their child by telling them about their fear or past dental horror stories, this may only prove to increase the child's fear.  While parents may think they are helping by trying to get on the child's level, telling the children about their fear may only exacerbate the issue by proving to the child that there is something to fear at the dentist's office.

Try to Avoid Bribery

Promising a child a treat if they get through the dental appointment may sound like a good idea but it actually may send the wrong message about what is truly important.  Bribing the child may lead the child to think that dental appointments are only a means to an end (the treat) while early dental visits should be used to help the child realize the importance of good oral hygiene. Offering children a bribe may also just increase the pressure and anxiety the child feels.  

While controlling your own fear and anxiety in the dental office may be hard, employing these tips may help keep your emotions from being transferred to your children, allowing them to have less dental anxiety.

Source:http://bestdentistnews.com/2013/06/how-to-help-your-child-overcome-their-fear-of-the-dentist%E2%80%99s-office/

R. Eric Emery, DDS

Smile Station Dental

2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd., Suite 400

St. Louis, MO 63122

(314)821-7100

smilestationdental.com

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A White Smile for the Big Day

Summer is a popular time for weddings.  The weather is nice so guests do not have to worry about dragging a coat along and the sun is out so the wedding pictures turn out great.  While there are lots of details involved in weddings, one important one may get overlooked...

Whether you are the bride, the groom, part of the bridal party, or just a guest at the wedding, having a wedding-ready white smile may be something you might not think of but can have an impact on your big day. Professional teeth whitening treatments are a quick and easy way to get your smile bright white.  It is the number one cosmetic service in the dental office and wedding parties are among the top recipients. 

While there are plenty of over-the-counter options available now a days, there are quite a few advantages to getting a professional treatment done.  Whitening teeth is more complex than just making the teeth a lighter shade.  The teeth should be in harmony with the skin tone and whites of the eyes.  We have all seen the Hollywood star who bleached their teeth too much so all you can focus on when you see the picture is their teeth. Dentists can help you pick the right shade so that the smile is polychromatic and appears more natural.  Over bleaching actually tends to make the smile monochromatic and appears opaque.

Professional treatments also have the advantage of protecting the rest of the mouth.  While stronger agents are applied to the teeth, special procedures are followed so that the gums, cheeks, tongue, and the rest of the mouth are protected from the harsher materials. The in-office treatment is also extremely effective and can white teeth in just one office visit, even so much as brightening the teeth 10 shades in one hour!

If you have a wedding coming up, or just want a beautiful white smile for summer, call the office today to inquire about whitening treatments.


Source:http://www.aacd.com/index.phpmodule=cms&page=1471&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Messaging


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd., Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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Notes from the Dentist

Introducing...

My dear patients and families,

I have some very good news for you and me, too.  There is a new addition to my practice. 

It is my greatest pleasure to welcome my daughter, Morgan Emery, DDS, to our dental team starting July 8, 2013.

Morgan was born at St. John’s Hospital and attended Barretts Elementary and Parkway South Middle schools.  She graduated from Parkway South High School in 2005 and from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2008.  For dental school, she chose my alma mater, the University of Missouri – Kansas City.  She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in May 2012.  She has spent the past year in an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency gaining more experience in treating special needs children and more complex dental cases at the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton. 

Morgan brings new ideas into the practice from academia and is helping the office integrate and upgrade their electronic charting.  Eventually, she plans to help the office complete their transition to being “paperless”.  In addition to her patient care duties here at Smile Station Dental, she will spend two days a week teaching dentistry to third and fourth year dental students at the dental school in Alton.

Morgan and I look forward to working together to provide our patients with excellent dentistry in a safe and relaxed environment.  We’re looking forward to seeing you soon.

With my warmest wishes,

R. Eric Emery, DDS

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Tooth Erosion Follow-Up

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) study that compared soda consumption to illegal drug use I blogged on a couple weeks ago made national headlines.  To help sum it up in a portable manner, the AGD created a fact sheet on tooth erosion. For more information on the causes, signs, symptoms, and how to prevent it, read the Oral Health Fact Sheet below.

Source: http://www.agd.org/


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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