How to Help a Child With Dental Anxiety
Is your child afraid of the dentist? Going to a new place can sometimes make a child scared or anxious, even if it’s a fun place. This applies doubly for going to the dentist.
There may be perfectly obvious and understandable reasons for this reaction. Perhaps the child had a traumatic experience previously with a dentist or other healthcare provider. In many cases, however, the explanation is not that clear. Still, for the child, the terror is very real. It’s natural to feel some nervousness about going to the dentist. Even some adults feel that way on occasion. Still, there are ways you can help reduce that fear.
Your child’s dentist in Chesapeake, VA is ready to help your child and you experience dentistry in a whole new, anxiety-free way. Give your child the best chances of experiencing excellent dental health for a lifetime. Set up an appointment with a pediatric dentist at Konikoff Dental Associates today.
What Are the Signs of Dental Anxiety?
Children experience dental anxiety in a variety of ways. Some, you may notice easily; others may be harder to pick up on. Keep an eye out for these signs anytime you’re planning a trip to the dentist’s office with your child:
- Difficulty sleeping the evening before their visit to the dentist
- Tantrums or meltdowns while in the waiting room
- Elevated nervousness while waiting for the appointment
- Becoming physically ill
- Becoming stressed at the sight of dental staff or dental instruments
- Panic or breathing trouble when dental instruments are placed in their mouth
Why Does My Child Feel Anxiety at a Dental Visit?
Most kids feel a small degree of panic about the prospect of something hurting. This often comes up surrounding a dental visit as the child anticipating a cleaning, having a cavity filled, or getting a novocaine shot.
Sitting still for as long as a dental appointment often requires can stress many kids out, especially if they already dislike being still or unable to move freely.
Similarly, an invasion of a child’s personal space can lead that child to feel stressed and anxious. When the dental hygienist or dentist comes close to a child’s face, it can make the child uncomfortable or self-conscious.
Negative dental office experiences in the past can also play a role in a child’s dental anxiety (as it can for adults as well.) For example, perhaps a child felt intimidated by a dentist in the past or experienced complications or pain from a dental procedure.
How to Help a Child With Dental Anxiety
Hear Their Fears
If your child experiences anxiety or fear regarding visiting the dentist, the greatest thing you could do for that child is listen to him or her and let him or her express his or her concerns. Once you learn exactly what those anxieties and fears are, you are better able to share them with the dentist and dental hygienist the child will be seeing.
Schedule Routine Dental Exams Regularly
Here at Konikoff Dental Associates, we’ll be your partner in your children’s dental care. We are completely equipped in helping ease children’s discomfort and fear regarding receiving dental care so they can receive the best pediatric dental care possible.
The best way you can get your child used to routinely seeing his or her dentist is by scheduling regular appointments twice per year. Once the dental office environment is more familiar to the child, he or she can become increasingly more comfortable seeing the dentist.
Pick the Right Dentist
Be certain you choose a dentist’s office in Chesapeake, VA that fits your child and family right. Choose a dentist who knows how to work with children well and a dentist’s office with a setting a child will find pleasing.
Also, your child may have questions to ask at the dental appointment that can help make his or her experience more comfortable. This can empower your child’s dental hygienist and dentist to directly address those concerns. They can help the child understand what to expect prior to conducting any part of an exam, cleaning, or other procedure. This also helps the dental staff stay aware of whether your child needs any breaks during the exam or procedure to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
Here at Konikoff Dental Associates, we make your child’s comfort a top priority while receiving care.
Another way the dentist or dental hygienist can use that information to help your child feel more comfortable during the visit is by distracting the child during a procedure and rewarding the child afterward for bravely enduring it.
Lead by Example
If you see your dentist regularly and place an emphasis on good dental hygiene at home, you can help alleviate your child’s dental anxieties. By seeing you in the dentist’s chair, for example, the child may not feel so unsafe sitting in that chair.
Set the right example with your home care routine for your mouth as well. Teach your kids to brush their teeth twice daily and floss once a day at least.
A child’s dental anxiety can cause parents frustration and confusion. Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out the source of the child’s anxiety and the right way to help them deal with it.
At our dental office in Chesapeake, VA we’re dedicated to helping every patient – young and old – get past their dental anxiety so they can set themselves up for excellent oral health for a lifetime. Our patient-centered approach to dental care puts our patients, like your child, first.
Help set your children off on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums and a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment with us for a cleaning and exam today with a Chesapeake, VA dentist and dental hygienist today.
