How to convince a child to visit a dentist?

How to convince a child to visit a dentist? This mission only seemingly seems impossible - if you choose the right strategy, both the first and subsequent visits to the dentist will cease to be a problem. What to do if the fear of the dentist has already developed in my child? There are also effective, child-friendly ways that you should know about!

The child is afraid of the dentist - how to avoid such a scenario?

Key advice: It's good to go to the dentist before the teeth start to hurt. The treatment, applied during the first visit, may cause a permanent reluctance in the child, and often even paralyzing fear of the dentist (dentophobia). How to convince a child to visit the dentist in an effective way? First of all, start adaptation visits as early as possible. It is recommended to have the first one with your baby when the first milk clove appears. During such visits to the dentist, the child is first of all to get used to him, and learn about the smell and appearance of dental equipment. The dentist will only look into his small mouth for a moment to assess the condition of the first / first milk teeth.

If the child is afraid of the dentist and is anxious, during such an adaptation visit, the doctor may not look into his mouth at all, but only make the toddler friend to the new situation. During the first visit to the dentist, he will instruct parents on how to properly care for the child's oral cavity, and will provide basic tips on a tooth-friendly diet.

How to convince a child to visit a dentist? Build positive associations from the very beginning! 

The most important thing in getting your toddler familiar with the dentist is his or her attitude towards the visit. The child builds them on the basis of experiences and stories from home - from parents and the immediate family. Don't tell your toddler about your fears about the dentist. Ask your loved ones to avoid stories like: “In my time it was a real sadist dentist and no anesthesia. The pain itself, not what now! " or "Nothing to be afraid of - be nice and there will be no pain." Despite (arguably) the best of intentions, such stories make it the child is afraid of the dentist and what may be happening in the office.

We also try not to scare the toddler: "If you don't clean the teeth, we'll go to the dentist!" After all, a dentist is not an incarnate evil and a "tooth police", but a specialist doctor who cares for healthy and beautiful smiles of children and adults. It is worth making the child aware from the very beginning that everyone who wants to be healthy and smiling visit the dentist regularly. Parents and grandparents too.

Taming the child with the dentist through play

Tame and friendly is what is known. Therefore, before each visit to the dentist, talk to your child and remind them of what the dentist is doing. You can also play dentist with your baby and check the condition of the teeth of all the teddy bears in the house. Try to adapt the language of speech to the cognitive abilities of the child: the dentist examines the teeth using a magic mirror, in which it is difficult to style a hairstyle. Later, the mammal, like a small elephant, draws off the excess saliva, and the doctor uses a magic wand to touch and check if there are any uninvited guests in the teeth.

How to convince a child to visit a dentist? A few days before the visit, you can read books with your toddler and watch fairy tales about how children visit the dentist. Remember - do not promise your child that the dentist will only look in the mouth and will not perform any treatments. If it is necessary to apply treatment or preventive measures, e.g. sealing, the child may feel cheated, losing confidence in both the dentist and you.

Is the child hysterical at the dentist? Changing Cabinets Can Help!

It is worth taking a moment to find the right specialist for your child. You can enroll your child at a dentist whom you visit with your whole family and whom you have full confidence in. However, if you want your child's visits to the dentist to be exceptionally pleasant or your toddler, despite your best efforts, is hysterical at a traditional dentist, look for the office of a pediatric dentistry specialist - paedodontist. His office is usually fully prepared for visits of young patients. It often has colorful walls, medical staff gowns decorated with characters from fairy tales, and dragon-shaped dental chairs.

If the child is hysterical at the dentist and managed to form negative associations, changing the office to an extremely child-friendly one can help a lot. It is also very reassuring for children to ensure that the doctor shows and informs them in advance about everything that is going to be done in a small mouth. It is worth discussing this with your dentist before visiting.

How to convince a child to visit the dentist? After each successful visit, it is good to give your baby a positive reinforcement in the form of a small reward. In some offices, the child will receive a brave patient sticker, a diploma or a small item, e.g. a coloring book. You can also make an appointment with your toddler for a little pleasure after the visit - going to the cinema together, or maybe to the zoo? As part of caries prevention, try to avoid candy rewards.

A child is hysterical at the dentist - how to help him?

If the child is hysterical at the dentistindications for premedication include: autism spectrum disorders, psychomotor hyperactivity (ADHD), intellectual disability or epilepsy. The administered agent is consulted in advance in terms of indications and contraindications, as well as possible allergy of the little patient to some pharmacological substances. Premedication is not recommended for healthy children without clear medical indications. In such cases, we focus primarily on reducing anxiety through education and changing the baby's attitude (psychological aspect). The dentist decides about the application of pharmacological sedation.

What premedication can a specialist propose, if the child is afraid of the dentist? It is i.a. hydroxyzine (a mild sedative that can be used after the age of 1), Medizolam with ketamine, or laughing gas (nitrous oxide) otherwise known as "stupid Johnny".

The child is afraid of the dentist: methods of relieving pain associated with the treatment of teeth

If the child works well with the dentist, but feels afraid of the pain associated with the treatment of the teeth, it is worth knowing about effective methods of local anesthesia:

Use of lignocaine gel / ointment prior to local anesthesia

The dentist lubricates the gum with it, thanks to which the little patient will not feel the moment of insertion of the needle with the right anesthetic.

Computer anesthesia

The Wand and QuickSleeper. These are extremely modern methods of local anesthesia that are used during the dental treatment of children and adults. If the child is afraid of the dentist and pain associated with tooth treatment, it is worth trying this method of computer anesthesia. The applicator itself, through which the drug is administered, is nothing like a classic syringe. The moment of injection and anesthesia are imperceptible for the toddler. Not all dental offices have this type of anesthesia - it is worth asking about it before visiting a given office.

General anesthesia

The dentist may also suggest general anesthesia, i.e. dental treatment under anesthesia. It is not a routine procedure in pediatric dentistry. Due to the fact that it is burdensome for the baby's body, they are used only in justified cases, e.g. when it is necessary to treat extensive caries (including a lot of teeth, e.g. 10), or the need to extract more teeth. The decision about general anesthesia is made by the dentist in advance, taking into account the health condition of the young patient.

Before using any of the above-described methods of pain relief, it is worth asking the dentist carefully about all indications, contraindications and what to expect from the use of a specific agent. You can go to the office without a child to calmly and in advance, together with a specialist, choose the best method for your child.

If your child is constantly hysterical at the dentist, it is worth using the help of a psychologist

Sometimes, despite our best efforts the child is afraid of the dentist panicky, showing the features of dentophobia (fixed fear of the dentist). Dental prophylaxis and treatment are very important to overall health. If panic still prevents your toddler from visiting the dentist, consider visiting a child psychologist. Sometimes just one or two visits to this specialist will help the child to cope with their fears better, and they will show parents various possibilities of working on them.

The author: Alicja Zawislak - MD, PhD, orthodontist, acting head of the Department of Maxillary Orthopedics and Orthodontics, Institute of Mother and Child