Source: http://www.canada.com
Do your little ones keep you up at night sometimes because of a toothache but when brought to visit a dentist, they throw tantrums, making it impossible for the dentist to tend to their problems? If your answer is yes, well, you are not alone. It is normal for children to be apprehensive in an unfamiliar territory, with a funny stranger wearing a mask poking cold, metallic instruments in their mouth. After all, who enjoys a visit to the dental office?
But regardless of the near panic attack at the thought of getting dental treatment done, one, especially a parent, must recognise the importance of oral health. Healthy teeth with a bright smile play a significant role in the development of a child’s personality, confidence and overall body health. Badly broken down teeth at an early stage may hamper the ability of a child to speak and eat properly, rendering the child possibly malnourished and having a low self-esteem.
Parents and dentists each play a role in making a child’s first dental visit a comfortable one. Parents should be relaxed and cheerful as any anxiety displayed by the parents might be sensed by the child and cause unnecessary fears. Most dentists in this age are trained in their undergraduate years on how to manage child patients using various methods. Adult and child dental experience are often different, as a paediatric dental setting often has more relaxing, cheerful and kid-friendly environment as opposed to quiet, formal and sterile adult dental office settings.
Keeping in mind that it is perfectly normal for children to be fearful, there are however simple ways to overcome their fears and make their dental visit more comfortable:
Avoid giving unnecessary details to your children
Keep your ’war tales’ on how you survived dental extraction, drilling or root canal treatment to yourselves. Letting your children know that you fear dentists will only aggravate their fear. Children look up to their parents so anything that their parents fear is considered dangerous to them as well.
Use only positive words
Prior to the first visit, tell your children that they are going to meet a new friend who will help make their teeth healthy and smile brighter. Avoid saying things like, “It won’t be painful if you behave” or “It won’t hurt” as this kind of negative words will only leave negative impact on their young, impressionable minds. Also, avoid promising treats as a ‘bribe’ to be well-behaved at the dentist as this may cause the child to be suspicious.
Start young
The earlier your children visit a dentist, the better. It is recommended to take a child for a visit as soon as the first tooth erupts. Bringing them in early not only desensitises them to the clinic environment but also provides them with a sense of ‘dental home’ where they feel safe and able to trust the dental staff.
Source: http://www.ucsf.edu
Role playing
Consider playing dentist-patient with your children using a doll or a stuffed animal and a toothbrush. You can also hold up a mirror and count your children’s teeth one by one but avoid making drilling sound. This may help your child to be more familiar with the dental routine and will be more comfortable in the real visit.
Stress the importance of oral health
Sometimes as a parent, you have to put a foot down and be firm. Make your children understand that a visit to the dentist is a necessity rather than a choice. You can also educate them on how important their oral health is, how important it is to have strong healthy teeth so that they can eat and have beautiful smile in years to come, and this dentist friend is going to help them achieve that.
Communicate with your dentist
It is advisable to talk to your dentist first about bringing your children in for a visit. You can discuss about your worries, what to expect and perhaps different approach or methods that the dentist may use to make your children comfortable. Your dentist should be friendly, open, cheerful and sometimes may act a bit firm when dealing with uncooperative children. Most dentists welcome discussion with parents as they see this as an opportunity to educate people on oral healthcare.
In conclusion, it is important that parents and older siblings show good examples to the younger children as most of the time, fear towards dentists is subjective fear. Furthermore, dentistry is constantly advancing; for all we know, what you were once scared of when you were little might not exist anymore!
Dr. Husna Razak (BDS) (KLE VK) is a dental officer working in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department in Kota Bharu. Know more about her in The Team page.
[This article belongs to The Malaysian Medical Gazette. Any republication (online or offline) without written permission from The Malaysian Medical Gazette is prohibited.]
References:
- http://www.dentistrytoday.com/pediatric-dentistry/1576