Fear of the dentist is natural among young children. In most cases they won’t fully understand why a dentist is poking around in their mouths unless everything has been properly explained to them. While dental professionals, like Dr. Ammar Idlibi, do what they can to ease a child’s fears, there are a number of tips that parents would do well to keep in mind in order to allay their child’s worries.
Start Early
If you start bringing your child to a qualified pediatric dentist as early in their life as possible, you can establish that these visits are routine and not scary when the child is still at an age where they are more accepting of things that may be a little scary to them. After their first experience at the dentist, many children overcome their fears. However, by leaving it too late in their life, you may end up simply making those fears worst. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first visit to the pediatric dentist should be on his or her first birthday.
Explain Everything
Before taking your child to the dentist, explain what the dentist actually does in terms that they will be able to understand. In many cases, children fear the unknown rather than fearing the dentist themselves, so if they have a little bit more knowledge they will often be able to approach the situation with confidence.
Don’t Contradict the Dentist
While it is only natural to want to ensure that your child gets the best dental treatment around, Dr. Ammar Idlibi notes that it can be counterproductive to ask questions of your pediatric dentist while they are performing treatment. Remember that you are the primary authority figure in your child’s life, so if you appear distrustful of your dentist, your child will pick up on this and act in a similar fashion.
Start Early
If you start bringing your child to a qualified pediatric dentist as early in their life as possible, you can establish that these visits are routine and not scary when the child is still at an age where they are more accepting of things that may be a little scary to them. After their first experience at the dentist, many children overcome their fears. However, by leaving it too late in their life, you may end up simply making those fears worst. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first visit to the pediatric dentist should be on his or her first birthday.
Explain Everything
Before taking your child to the dentist, explain what the dentist actually does in terms that they will be able to understand. In many cases, children fear the unknown rather than fearing the dentist themselves, so if they have a little bit more knowledge they will often be able to approach the situation with confidence.
Don’t Contradict the Dentist
While it is only natural to want to ensure that your child gets the best dental treatment around, Dr. Ammar Idlibi notes that it can be counterproductive to ask questions of your pediatric dentist while they are performing treatment. Remember that you are the primary authority figure in your child’s life, so if you appear distrustful of your dentist, your child will pick up on this and act in a similar fashion.
