Sometimes it’s hard to get kids excited for the dentist office. Every parent struggles with this.
But we know regular visits to the dentist are important to your kid’s health and well-being.
Since your kid’s teeth are growing so fast, they might experience the dentist office at least 10 times before they even hit kindergarten. So we just want them to feel comfortable and relaxed.
Plus, your kids will visit the dentist at least twice a year throughout their lives. So it’s our job as parents and dental professionals to show them how good their regular visits are for their teeth and smiles.
To help make future visits more fun, here are a few simple things you can do.
4 Steps to Get Your Kids Excited for the Dentist
1. Start Early
You might think your child is too young. But children should visit the dentist at least once before their first birthday or as soon as their first tooth is visible.
Start them early so it’s not an unusual thing. The more they know the office and the staff, the more comfortable they will be visiting.
They might even love the friendly staff so much they get excited to visit.
2. Teach Kids Why They Go to The Dentist
We may know why it’s important to take care of our teeth and regularly visit the dentist but maybe your kids don’t quite understand yet. Read them a fun book about going to the dentist or show them a video.
I bet your kids love YouTube, don’t they? Seems like kids want to watch videos all day, so why not bring the knowledge to their preferred channel?
Show them fun videos that explain the dentist office in an exciting way.
3. Keep It Simple
The dentist is no big deal! Don’t worry your child’s sweet mind by going into specific details and over-explaining.
Keep the conversation light and positive. Try to avoid words like needle, pain, or shots. The staff is trained to know this and can help your child feel comfortable.
Parent’s magazine suggests explaining to your child that the dentist is just going to check their smile and count their teeth. Sounds fun, right?
4. Play Pretend Dentist at Home
Kids love to play pretend especially when their parents get involved. All you need is a toothbrush and a good imagination.
Let you kids sit back and laugh at you playing doctor dentist. Check out their teeth and reassure that theirs are strong and healthy.
Hold up a mirror so they can see you counting their teeth. Then, switch it up and let them play doctor for you. They’ll love it!
And after their visit. Make sure they get a sticker or small toy for being good patients.
However uncomfortable dental work can be, we all know it’s necessary. And it’s really not that bad.
We hope these tips have helped make your visit a positive experience for you and your kids.