Taking your child to his or her first dental checkup, which should typically take place by the child's first birthday or no later than six months after getting his or her first tooth, is a significant milestone in the child's life. At this young age, some children get nervous when entering new situations, which can make your visit to the dental clinic challenging. While telling the child in advance how important regular dental checkups are can be helpful, your child might still have a degree of nervousness during the process. It's possible, however, to use some careful strategies to get the child more comfortable with the idea of visiting the dentist. Here's what you can do.
Talk Positively
Just as it's important to talk positively about the dentist to your child in the weeks leading up to the first appointment, you should also maintain this positive tone when discussing the dentist with your spouse or partner. Young children are constantly listening to conversations and can easily pick up the message or even the emotion behind someone's words. If you talk about how you get nervous about visiting the dentist, for example, it's possible that the child will pick up on this emotion. If you have older children, ensure that they communicate only positive things about the dentist, too.
Use Books
Children's books are ideal for reinforcing important messages, especially if you read them to your children repeatedly. Given that many young children have a degree of nervousness about their first trip to the dentist, it's easy to find age-appropriate books addressing this topic. While the information is presented in a fun way, the underlying message conveys the importance of regular dental care. Many children are skilled at picking up and implementing the lessons presented in literature, which means that reading this type of book a handful of times before the appointment can truly make a difference.
Practice At Home
Many children find comfort in familiar settings, so taking the opportunity to have a "practice" dental checkup in the familiar surroundings of home can be helpful. Arrange for the child to sit on a reclining chair and open his or her mouth wide. Then, you can go through the process of checking each of the child's teeth and then brushing them thoroughly. If you repeat this experience a few times before the checkup, you can often find that your child feels less uncertain about climbing into the dentist's chair. For more information, contact a business such as Myriam Cerezo DMD.
Share17 September 2015
Halloween is a holiday that my children love, and telling them they can't go door-to-door collecting candy would break their hearts. This led me to allowing them to collect candy on the holiday, then rationing it out to them every day instead of letting them gobble it up in just a few days. I always thought this was better for them, but my dentist told me this could be the reason why their February dental check-ups were always their worst ones. Daily candy consumption was taking a toll on their teeth. I started a new tradition of letting them indulge for two days, then giving them the option to swap the rest with me in exchange for a new toy. They never pass on the opportunity for a new toy. I created this blog to encourage other parents find similar tactics to keep their children's teeth healthy after Halloween.