Advice on how to stop your children from being afraid of the dentist

It is vital that you bring your child to the dentist for regular check-ups. When a child is growing, their teeth can begin to grow in irregular patterns and certain problems may have to be addressed. There will be considerably less pain and work to do if problems are spotted in their early stages and action is taken.

However, for many children visits to the dentist are their worst nightmare and they may do everything in their power to try and avoid going. As a parent, it is your responsibility to inform and educate them on the importance of going to the dentist.

Here is some useful advice that will help your children overcome the fear associated with the dentist.

Start going young

By bringing your child to the dentists regularly when they are young, they will grow more accustomed to the visit. They will know nothing else than regular visits. It is often advised that children should make their first visit to a dentist when their initial baby teeth start to appear. Finding a children's dentist that is friendly and comforting will also go a long way to building a good relationship.

Make it a simple process

When you are visiting the dentist, especially if it is the first time, you should not make a big deal about it or disclose too many details to your child. Adding extra info about the treatment that they will be getting may give them negative connotations of the visit. Always discuss visits with an extremely positive attitude without saying that everything will be completely fine as there will inevitably be some pain involved.

Conduct a pretend visit

A good way of settling your child's fear about their upcoming dentist visit is to ease them into the thought of it by conducting a pretend visit with them. You can act as the role of the dentist and simply use a toothbrush to go through each of their teeth, showing them how to effectively brush.

You can even get your child to pretend to do this on one of their toy animals or dolls so they get used to the process. By getting more comfortable with the routine, they will be less nervous ahead of their next visit.

Be prepared for some fuss

It is perfectly normal for young children to cry and whine when they are in these types of situations, and they won't want to be examined by a stranger. The dentist professionals are used to this behaviour and will be able to guide you through it in the best way possible. If your child continues to be particularly fussy, try looking for a paediatric dentistry clinic, such as Redland Bay Dental Surgery Toothwise, as these dentists will be specially trained to deal with children.