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