Dental anxiety is common, especially in children. Fear of needles and drilling is one facet of dental anxiety, but even the smell of the dentist’s office or the sight of the dentist’s chair can be enough to trigger anxiety for some people. If your child suffers from dental anxiety, dealing with it early will help to lower the chances that they’ll carry it into adulthood.
At Manhasset Dental Arts, our dentists and dental staff provide a calm and reassuring environment at our office in Manhasset, New York to help our patients feel as comfortable as possible at every visit.
If your child suffers from dental anxiety of any kind, don’t panic! Here are a few tips and tricks to make them feel more at ease about oral health and less afraid of going to the dentist!
Baby teeth typically start erupting at the six months mark, and parents are advised to schedule their first dental check-up by their first birthday or six months after the first tooth erupts, whichever comes first. The younger they are, the less likely they’ll be to be nervous about seeing the dentist.
Let your child get to know and become familiar with a family dentist as early as possible to establish trust and make each trip to the dentist feel like a normal routine instead of a scary encounter with a stranger in an office full of sharp objects!
Keeping it positive and stress-free is the name of the game when it comes to helping children beat dental anxiety. The fewer negative associations they have with the dentist and oral hygiene, the better.
From role-playing and taking turns playing dentist with your children to brushing and flossing together every day if possible, dentists recommend that parents make an effort to make oral healthcare feel like less of a chore - and never as a punishment - to relieve dental anxiety in children.
Get some tips from the experts on how to make going to the dentist more fun for your kids, or come up with new games and routines of your own.
If you suffer from dental anxiety, getting help for yourself should be a priority. If you have any questions or concerns, our dentists can help you find the best treatments and routines to help minimize dental anxiety for yourself and your children!
For more information about dealing with dental anxiety so that your children can get the dental care they need, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists at our office in Manhasset, New York.
