It is recommended that children see the pediatric dentist at a very young age. By the time they start preschool, the child should have been to the dentist at least once. For most children, the first visit to Pediatric Dentists in Port Orchard Wa can be very upsetting. Fortunately, there are a few things that the parents can do to make the visit easier on the child.
Read Books
There are plenty of children’s books on the market that can help a child understand what will happen during their first visit to the dentist. When the parents read a book like this to their child, it will help ease the child’s fear of the unknown.
Let the Child Make Decisions
On the day that the child has to go to the dentist, the parents should allow them to make some of the decisions for the day. The parents can let the child choose what they are going to wear, the toy that they are going to bring, or what they are going to have for lunch. When the child feels as though they have some control over the day, it can make going to the dentist a bit easier.
Schedule the Appointment At the Right Time
If the parents schedule their child’s first visit to the dentist during nap time, the child won’t be cooperative when it is time to sit in the dentist chair. If they schedule the appointment around the child’s mealtime, they also won’t be cooperative. The best time for parents to schedule their child’s first visit to the dentist is after they have had their nap and their lunch.
Avoid Using Negative Words
When parents are explaining the visit to the dentist to their child, they should watch what words they use. For example, if a parent tells their child that it won’t hurt, the only word that the child is going to hear and register is the word hurt. When parents are discussing the dentist, they should use only positive words.
Seeing the dentist at a young age is very important to a child’s oral health now and in the future. Before the day of the visit to Pediatric Dentists in Port Orchard Wa, the parents should follow the tips listed above to properly prepare the child. Proper preparation will make it easier on the child and on the dentist.
