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What To Do If Your Child Doesn’t Like Going To The Dentist?

It’s no surprise that a trip to the dentist may make your child a bit anxious. Many parents say their child is “terrified” of the dentist; others say their child won’t open their mouth at the dentist, and some even say their kids scream at the dentist! Surprisingly, these are all natural and predictable responses. Many children experience anxiety when it comes to meeting strangers. So, what can you do to help ease your child’s fear of their dental appointments? Here are a few tips to help change your child’s mind about their experience at the dentist:

1. Meet the dentist beforehand. Our Drs. Lara Holly, Rei Iwase, Ben Curtis, and Preston Colven would love to meet your child prior to their visit. As many children have anxiety when meeting a new person, an introductory meeting can help ease some anxiety before the appointment. We will show your child that the dental office is a friendly and fun environment.

2. Create positive reinforcement for your child. If your child isn’t a fan of their dental appointments, give him or her some positive reinforcement after their appointment. Help your child associate a positive reward with their trips to the dentist. As your child grows older and realizes that the dentist isn’t so bad, these rewards won’t be necessary.

3. Choose positive, less daunting words around your child. The words you use around your child can strongly affect the way he or she perceives a situation. If you choose words like “pain”, “drill”, “shot”, or similarly intimidating words, your child is likely to feel scared of his or her dentist appointments. Tell your child that the dentist is simply counting your child’s teeth, not examining Your child’s dentist is cleaning the sugar off their teeth. Choose positive words that your child can relate to, so they can understand that this will be a positive, fun, pain-free experience.

4. Explain to your child why a dentist visit is important. Possibly the most effective way to ease someone’s anxieties or fears, regardless of their age, is through education. Educate your child (using positive terms) on why they need to visit their dentist. Show them pictures of what a brilliant, healthy smile looks like with a full mouth of adult teeth. Show them their own teeth in the mirror and praise them for their cleaning habits. Help your child understand the consequences if they don’t visit their dentist or brush their teeth regularly!

Preparing your child before his or her visit to the dentist can make all the difference in how they feel when they arrive at their appointment. Choose positive, calming words when describing the dentist and dental appointments. Remember, it’s completely normal that your child has some apprehension and worry about their dentist appointment, so be understanding with them. Here at Children’s Dentistry Of North Dallas we place significant emphasis on your child’s comfort throughout his or her appointment. We want you and your child to feel relaxed at every appointment. If you are seeking a dentist for kids in the Dallas area, we would love to meet you!

-Brush Your Teeth Together. Leading by example is a great way for children to learn and understand. Make brushing teeth together in the morning and nighttime part of your routine. Your child will look forward to brushing with you!

-Encourage Brushing With Rewards. If your child doesn’t enjoy brushing, you may be able to offer a reward that encourages them to do so!

-Set A Timer. A two-minute timer will help your child know when they can stop brushing as well as help them to be responsible with their brushing habits.

-Tasty Flavors & Fun Dental Products.

A lot of kids respond well to toothbrushes with their favorite character on it or flavored toothpaste or mouthwashes. It can help make tooth-brushing something fun and exciting to look forward to.

Fun Facts For Kids To Sink Their Teeth Into

Did you know?

-Kids in prehistoric times likely did not suffer from tooth decay because sugar was not a part of their diet.

-Kids laugh around 400 times a day, adults just 15 times a day.

-Tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the human body; because it’s so durable, healthy tooth enamel protects teeth from cavity-causing oral bacteria.

Have you ever wondered why your dentist recommends to re-visit the office every six months? Well, its time you know the reason behind it. Routine dental check-ups are crucial for long term maintenance of oral health for toddlers, young children, tweens and teens. Usually, dentists recommend that the first visit of a child should be as soon as one year of age. This helps to build the foundation for the excellent health of teeth and gums. Moreover, it also impacts the overall well-being of the child, both physically and mentally. Routine dental check-ups have several benefits, such as early detection and prevention of dental diseases such as tooth decay, the need for orthodontics and more. If you are considering skipping your next routine dental appointment, you might want to read further to weigh your options. In today’s article, we will discuss the importance of routine dental check-ups. Furthermore, we will highlight the benefits of a regular dental check-up. Generally, a routine dental check-up is performed in two phases –

Examination-

During the examination, either Dr. Holly, Dr. Iwase, Dr. Curtis, Dr. Colven or Dr. Shah will identify tooth decay or abnormalities that may negatively affect the health of the teeth and gums.  Additionally, the dentist also evaluates the degree of plaque and calculus on the tooth surface. Dental plaque is typically a sticky layer of bacteria and debris that forms on the surface of the teeth. Improper oral hygiene practice can lead to the hardening of the plaque called calculus. Excessive accumulation of plaque and calculus usually initiates oral diseases.

After tooth examination, the gums’ health is evaluated using a periodontal probe to check the depth of the spaces between the teeth and gums. In a healthy mouth, the gums are firmly attached to the tooth surface. Lastly, the dentist evaluates the health of your throat, tongue, and other soft tissues in the mouth. Moreover, they may also consider extra-oral signs such as redness or swelling associated with the face, head, and neck.

Oral prophylaxis-

Once a thorough dental examination is performed, the hygienist may proceed to clean your teeth. During this procedure, the hygienist may use either an ultrasonic scaler or hand instrument to loosen and remove the mineralized calculus from the tooth surface. Moreover, dental professionals also clean the interdental spaces and areas which are hard to clean with a toothbrush. After scaling, the tooth surface is polished using a gritty paste to remove the surface stains present on the tooth. Finally, every interdental space is flossed to ensure complete cleaning of the teeth. Ideally, it is best to visit a dentist every six months to maintain proper health and hygiene. What is the importance of routine dental check-ups? A routine dental check-up is essential for the following reasons; routine dental check-ups help the dentist to identify early signs of tooth decay and cavity formation. Furthermore, it helps to evaluate the patient’s oral hygiene status by looking at the amount of plaque and calculus formed on the tooth surface.

Such steps can lead to prompt treatment and prevention of extensive tooth damaging conditions. Moreover, professional teeth cleaning reduces the number of disease-producing bacteria in the mouth. They are thereby enhancing the oral health of the patient. Regular dental appointments help kids to maintain good relationships with the dentist. Moreover, it establishes a healthy communication where you as a parent can discuss all the concerns you have regarding your child’s oral health. Moreover, it is a great way for children to be familiar with the dental office environment to reduce nervousness and anxiety. Regular dental check-ups help to restore and redefine the health status of your mouth. It is a fact that our oral health is directly linked with the overall health and well-being of an individual. There are clinical links between poor oral hygiene and diabetes or heart disease. Moreover, osteoporosis and cancer are also common conditions associated with poor oral health. Therefore, it is essential to take every preventive measure to maintain the health of your child’s teeth and gums. Restorative dental treatments can be expensive. However, preventive dental treatments are far less costly. Moreover, most dental insurance plans cover the cost of two routine dental check-ups in a year.

Back in the saddle again! After a couple of long months and a lot of leg work to get our office into COVID19 ready form, we are ready! Summer is in full swing! With our new office protocols ensuring everyone’s safety were eager to see our patients. A few of our new policies include; COVID pre-screening, car check-ins, limitations on how many people are allowed in the office at one time, and our staff wearing N95 masks. Our staff is continually researching and making every attempt to stay up to date on new products and guidelines as far as safety. We rely on the ADA, CDC, and state health officials for our information and office protocols. As with many offices, we are easing back in to see patients. Our goal is to make sure we are following all the guidelines put forth. These are new waters we are treading in so developing a routine will take time. Our patients thus far have been so understanding of our new office procedures. We are taking temperatures and an array of new questions. We are very thankful and appreciate your patience especially in this new climate of uncertainty with COVID19. We’ll do our best to keep you informed!