How to Train Your Kids Not to Fear Their Dentist

Balwyn is a great place to raise a family because of its tranquil and relaxed suburb feel. The area is home to great neighborhoods, family-centered restaurants, shopping malls, and entertainment centers. You can also find great schools in the area. Because everything is accessible, it is easy to figure out why many people choose to move here. And if you need the help of dentists, you can easily find one in the area.

But before you bring your kids to a dentist, you need to make them feel that these regular dental trips are pleasant experiences. Most of the time, kids fear their dentists because of the things they hear from adults. In different studies published in BMC Oral Health, Colgate, and PubMed, it was shown that the parents and their parenting style play a huge role in how these fears grew.

For some kids, dental visits can conjure up images of scary-looking doctors carrying needles and pliers trying to pull their teeth out. Whether or not this fear is a result of the kinds of stories adults share with these kids, maintaining good oral hygiene is important in ensuring one’s well-being, and you can never keep good oral hygiene if you keep fearing your dentist.

Here are some simple yet effective tricks to make your dental trip pleasant every time.

Start Them Young

If parents played a huge role in forming these fears, they also have the power to help their kids overcome it. According to a study published in the University of Rochester’s Medical Center Journal, you can bring your kids to the dentist as early as six months old, or as soon as his/her first tooth erupts. During this visit, your dentist can give you appropriate and timely advice on the following concerns:

• Tooth decay caused by baby bottle usage
• Infant feeding tips
• Mouth cleaning
• Pacifier habits
• Teething
• Finger-sucking habits

If your child starts to regularly visit a dentist at six months old, as they get older, they can form a better bond with him/her. The child’s fear is often a result of unfamiliarity with the environment and person they are with. If your child has fostered a habit of visiting the same doctor in the same clinic since they were only six months old, there is a high chance that they will have a more trusting relationship with that person. Instead of feeling terrible, they would feel more comfortable and responsive. 

Portray Your Dentist As a Loving, Gentle, And Kind Person

Some parents are often the reason why their kids develop irrational fears about objects and people. In their attempt to let their child follow their orders, they tell them scary stories. But instead of telling your kids this kind of story, why not paint your dentist as the good guy or hero in a story?

You can ask your dentist’s help with this one. The next time you catch up with your dentist in Balwyn for a check-up, ask your dentist to issue a “Reward Certificate” to your child. Through this, they will start to trust his doctor, and start seeing him/her as someone less scary. Over time, it would be easy for your child to be in the same room with their dentist as you wait outside. You need not worry about your child throwing tantrums every time you go to the clinic. 

Final Word

A child’s fear can be a result of an unpleasant experience they had in the past. While some of these fears are easy to tackle, some may take a lifetime to refute. That is why parents need to do their part in replacing these unpleasant memories and stories with more positive ones.

It may take time for your child to recover, but it will at least be a work in progress. The same is true when you are changing how they perceive their dentists. At first, they might hesitate and remain fearful. But with your constant reinforcement, it would not be long before you see them in a good relationship with their teeth doctor.