Help! My Child has Kids Dental Fears
Reduce Fear
Your Child and the Kid Dentist
Visiting the dentist can be a daunting experience for adults. For children, it can be particularly intimidating. The bright lights, unfamiliar sounds, and the prospect of someone poking around in their mouths can trigger anxiety in many kids.
If you find yourself in this situation, know that you’re not alone, and there are strategies to help your child overcome their fear of the dentist.
How You Can Help Lessen Kid Dentist Anxiety
Here are some ways you can help reduce fear:
Start Early: Introduce your child to the kid dentist from an early age, ideally around their first birthday.
Choose a Pediatric Dentist: Pediatric dentists specialize in treating children. They are trained to handle nervous or fearful patients. They often have child-friendly offices, colorful décor, and toys to help put children at ease.
Positive Reinforcement: Praise them for their bravery, reward them with a small treat or a fun activity after the appointment.Role Play: This might seem silly, but remember kid dentist fears usually are unfounded. Use pretend play at home to act out a dental visit. Let your child take turns being the dentist and the patient, using a toothbrush and mirror to mimic the tools used during a check-up.Gradual Exposure: If your child’s fear is severe, consider making multiple short visits to the dentist before their actual appointment.Use Distraction Techniques: Bring along their favorite toy, book, or electronic device to distract them during the appointment. Some dental offices even have TVs on the ceiling for children to watch cartoons while receiving treatment.Topics to explore related to Children’s Dentistry
Dental Anxiety in Kids & Their Caregivers
2 Armfield, J., & Heaton, L. (2013). Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review. Australian Dental Journal. Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review. | Semantic Scholar
Affording the Best Care
Our Great Smiles team works to find the best way to fit great dental care into your budget, with awesome payment options, maximized insurance benefits, and affordable solutions. Our FAQ pages have some answers to common questions about Invisalign or braces costs as well as dentist costs. Or, feel free to contact us for help. Plus, research shows that early dental visits can lower long-term costs, so we encourage families to come visit us at one of our five Great Smiles Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics locations.
What to Look for in Kids Dental Office
Before booking the first appointment or initial consultation, first consider the children’s dental services you prefer. Whether the office is a general dentist or pediatric dentist, they should offer some ideas, such as:
Familiarity & Comfort Working with Anxious Kids: you and your child will sense whether staff are comfortable with kids. This comfort is often why a children’s dentist might be the best choice.
Smiles: the dentist is for your child’s oral health and building a future of beautiful smiles. Choose a kid dentist that offers warm smiles for you and your child.
What is a Kid Dentist?
Kids dental care focuses on maintaining and improving the oral health of children from infancy through adolescence. A dentist for kids , more formally called a pediatric dentist , is a dental specialist dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through the teenage years, and also caters to adults with special needs. A kid dentist requires extensive training beyond general dental education, specializing in treating children’s dental issues, child psychology, and managing patients with special needs*.