Preparing Your Kids For Their First Dental Visit!
It’s a big milestone in their lives! It’s their first dental visit, but how do you get your little ones to be prepared without scaring the life out of them? Read on for our easy to follow guide.
Talk to them about it
First, all it’s important that you talk to your kids about dental hygiene and their first visit to the dentist. Yes, they may be pretty little still; at around one to two years old so they might not understand everything that you say.
But they will recognize the tone of voice that you talk to them in and some what you are trying to get across. So make sure to talk positively about their dental appointment, as well as your own dental experiences in front of them.
In fact, it a good idea to do this all the way through their childhood too. As they can easily learn to be scared of the dentist from their parents discussing their own difficult experiences.
Read about it
Another way to get the little ones prepped for their first dental visit is to read about it. That means getting hold of some age appreciate books. Ones that describe the process that they will go through for their checks and show the kinds of locations and equipment like the dentist chair and the intraoral camera. Such as these ones from Prodentshop, that are likely to be there.
Remember that dentist office have a lot of bright lights, that medical smell, and sometimes the sound of the drill. Which can all be very confusing for your kids if they are not prepared.
Play dentists
Of course, you can also choose to take it one step further as well. That means not just reading about going to the dentists, but also play dentists too.
This is a super fun way of getting the kids involved and positive about their upcoming trip. It also helps them to see thing from the dentist’s perspective which may make it easier for them to sit still, or hold their mouth open for a long time.
Of course, the addition of dentist toys like this Playmobile one, also help to create a positive association with the experience. As what kids doesn’t love getting new things to play with?
During the appointment
It may be that all of your preparation for the appointment pays off and your child sails through with no problems at all. But don’t go to pieces if they do get a little upset. It’s only a natural reaction to a very new and confusing situation.
Instead, speak to them in a calm and reassuring voice and give them a minute to calm down before you try to carry on with the appointment. You dentist should be able to sympathize as he probably has seen this reaction many times before.
Reward them after
To maintain the positive vibes after the appointment is over it can be a nice to treat your little one to something for getting through it. This could be the sugar-free lolly or sticker than the dentist has given them. Or your own healthy reward of their choosing.
