Every Dentist Needs Your Help Keeping Your Teeth Healthy

When you are little, there's nothing scarier than sitting in a dental chair and having to say, "Ahhh." If you have small kids that are a little bit scared about going to the dentist every six months for a dental cleaning and checkup, then this article is just the thing for you. Although these tips won't necessarily make the fear go away, they will hopefully help your child to feel more excited in the process. This article will go over three specific ways to get your child excited about going to the dentist. Read on.

1. Read Books About the Dentist

Children are visual learners, and a great way to teach them to be excited about going to the dentist is to go to the library and check out some books about the dentist. No, you aren't going to want to pick up medical books, but there are a lot of children's books out there that talk about the dentist. Once your child sees that other people (characters in the book) go to the dentist, they may realize that it's a normal and not-so-scary thing to do.

2. Talk About the Dentist

You don't need to talk incessantly about the dentist, because that could make things worse. But, talking about the dentist is a great way to familiarize your child with the dentist, allow them to ask questions, and get them excited. For instance, if you have a curious little one, teach them the names of all of the cleaning tools the dentist uses and explain to them what exactly will be done during their dental cleaning. Sometimes, kids are just nervous about new things because they don't know what to expect, but by talking about the entire process with them, they will hopefully feel more prepared.

3. Pretend

If your child loves to play pretend, consider letting them have a turn pretending to be the dentist. Whether you are the patient or they pick a doll to do the job, having them pretend to do a checkup and dental cleaning may get them even more excited to be the patients during their appointment.

Every child is very different, so one tip that works for your child may not work for another. Try all of these tips listed in this article and see if any of them can help calm your child's nerves before they go into see the dentist. Contact a dental care provider for additional advice.