Holiday Traditions and Treats

We all know how important oral health is. A healthy mouth leads to a healthy body. However, a trip to the dentist can cause nervousness for children. Here are some suggestions to help overcome the nerve and create healthy behaviors that should last into adulthood.

Attitude is key

If you are nervous, your children will be nervous too. They will pick up and sense your attitude and act upon it. So let’s not make the trip a dreaded event. Turn it into something fun! Let them know and learn going to the dentist is fun as a child and they will grow to see how important it is as an adult.

Read to them

Picture books that deal with visiting the dentist are a great way to illustrate the benefits of regular visits and show them that there is nothing to fear about your friendly neighborhood dentist. Children have wild imaginations, use some parental control and paint the proper picture of the dentist with a good book about a fun trip.

Pick the right dentist

This is the other half of the equation. And just as important as your prep work before a visit. Make sure you have a dentist that is great with kids. Great pediatric dentists have the dental skills from school, but they also are equipped with kid skills. A good pediatric dentist will know how a trip can sometimes be terrifying for small children. You will be able to see right away if your choice of pediatric dentist has taken the steps in design and comfort-ability to help children become comfortable.

We hope these tips can help with your visits. Children should be expected to be nervous, they look to us for guidance as they grow. Let’s show them how important a dental trip can be and start good dental hygiene early.