How to Get Your Child Excited to Visit a Kids Dentist

As a local kids dentist, we enjoy working with our young patients.  Learning how to properly care for your teeth starts at a young age, and we make it fun so that children will want to take care of their teeth and stay healthy.  The first step, and often most challenging is to get your child comfortable with visiting the dentist.  Until they are, it can be difficult to clean their teeth.  As a parent, there are steps you can take to help your child.

Schedule a dentist appointment and try these tips:

• Read a book.  Children enjoy being read to.  Visit your local library and look for books that talk about visiting the dentist.  Many of the PBS characters like Elmo and Berenstain Bears have books and shows that have the characters getting their teeth cleaned and cavities fixed.  Reading together is an excellent way to expose your child to what dental care is like and helps them to feel more relaxed about their visit.
• Stop by the office.  We welcome you to bring your child by our kids dentist office so that they can say hello to our friendly staff.  Children tend to be nervous about things that they are unfamiliar with.  The combination of a new experience, new place, and new people can make the process of getting teeth cleaned overwhelming.  This is easy to solve by visiting our office first because the environment will become familiar as will the staff.  
• Use play.  If your child is young, they are probably still spending much of the day in an imaginative world of play.  This is an excellent way to show them what a dentist does. Pull out one of their stuffed animals or dolls along with a toothbrush and flashlight.  Take turns giving their toys a dental examination. This is an easy way for them to learn what it is like to be a dentist and can make them more excited to schedule their own appointment. 
• Talk about it. Ask your child if they have any questions about having their teeth cleaned and explain the process to them.  Having a conversation is important and an easy way to allow them to express their fears. By doing so you will have the opportunity to educate them as to why dental care is important and how it is nothing to be worried about. 

As a kids dentist, we make dental care fun and will welcome your child with a smile.  Our staff is trained on how to take care of young patients and part of that is understanding how to help them feel comfortable.  We use play, conversation, and education in order to do so.  During their dental exam, we will look for any cavities or infection along with cleaning their teeth.  If we find anything that needs to be treated, we will let you know then discuss treatment options.  The goal on their first appointment, however, is for them to feel comfortable and look forward to coming back.