Why are children afraid of the dentist?
What can I do to help my child feel less anxious about their first dental visit?
Almost all children are afraid of the dentist. So, why is a child afraid of the dentist? Parents play an important role in making sure their child's first visit to the dental office is a positive experience. Any anxiety expressed by the parents will be picked up by the child. My child is terrified of the dentist, what should I do? - What can you do to help the dental visit go more smoothly:
- Tell your child about the visits, but limit the amount of detail provided. Answer any questions with simple, accurate answers. Let your dentist answer more difficult or detailed questions. Dentists are trained to describe things to children in a non-threatening manner and in clear language.
- Don't tell your child that something will get damaged or hurt.
- Don't tell your child about an unpleasant dental experience you had. · Emphasize to your child how important it is to maintain healthy teeth and gums and that the dentist is a friendly doctor whose job is to help him do this.
- Don't promise a reward for visiting the dentist.
Keep in mind that it is completely normal for children to be afraid - some are afraid of being separated from their parents. Others are afraid of the unknown, others are afraid of getting hurt. A dentist who treats children knows how to deal with your child's fears and worries and will put him at ease.
How to teach a child not to be afraid of the dentist: advice from psychologists
The most common age when parents begin to look for an answer to the question “what to do – the child is afraid of doctors” is 3 years. At this age, not all children obey authority - children cannot be restrained by force or forced to undergo treatment. And if you do not rid the child of fear, the problem will remain relevant at 6 years old, at 9 and at 13. By this time, the consequences of ignoring dentists are very serious - until the molars are removed.
Based on the experience of parents and advice from psychologists, we have collected the best recommendations on how to get your child used to going to the dentist.
Visiting dentists – every 6 months
To maintain oral health, you should visit your doctor twice a year. Only a few follow this rule, so the child ends up in the dentist's chair with toothache, caries, and damaged crowns.
Following the schedule of systematic techniques guarantees:
- meeting a doctor;
- calmness during examination;
- timely treatment;
- control and professional supervision.
Building trust
A stranger in a white coat with strange instruments and a mask is scary. A dentist who calls a young patient by name and clearly talks about the equipment and medical procedures inspires trust.
An excellent bonus of professional children's dental clinics is adaptation techniques, where the child is introduced to the doctor's work and tools in a playful way. In specialized medical centers, every doctor is a psychologist and can easily come to an agreement with the most stubborn little one. A few adaptation techniques, and fear disappears forever.
Plaksina Margarita
“Doctors at Azabuka undergo mandatory training - they are proficient in modern psychological methods of communicating with children. We find a language with all patients."
Choosing the right doctor
Good dentists master the art of communication. They come up with interesting stories, choose pleasant words, and find contact with everyone who comes to the reception. Preschoolers need fairy tales, older children need seriousness, teenagers need a special approach. The child is looking for his own ideal doctor, and the task of adults is to help in the search.
Preparing for your appointment
Many parents know what and how to tell their child in order to motivate him to go to the dentist. “Teeth” fairy tales, funny cartoons, games, and toys are used. If it is not possible to build a dialogue, then you need to act professionally.
In this case, it is also worth turning to dental adaptation and trusting the doctors.
An honest story about the upcoming treatment
Psychologists distinguish between mother's and father's approaches when communicating with a child. Dad explains through logic, reason; mom - through emotions, feelings. Any path is correct.
It is wrong to remain silent about the upcoming procedure, to deceive, to be cunning, to lure the child to an appointment, in the hope that they will not “get away.”
Dolotova Marina
“An honest story is good, but it is better to entrust this conversation to the dentist. The doctor will perfectly explain to the child the intricacies of the upcoming treatment without the scary words “injection”, “drilling”, “instruments”. Parents don’t always succeed in this, and children get even more scared.”
Making an appointment for a child's regime
It is easier to accustom children to the dentist when they are cheerful, well-fed, and well-rested. If the baby is tired and hungry, you should not expect calmness and good reactions from him. Early morning and late evening are not suitable at all. Other intervals should be assessed from the point of view of children's routine, well-being, and comfort.
Together - to the office!
Children become especially afraid of the dentist when they stay with him one-on-one. Recommendations to “leave the office” are considered harmful and increase the fears of young patients. Even teenagers feel calmer when a loved one is nearby.
Gifts against fears
Many people do not like material incentives, but sometimes they are necessary. In this case, it is better to convey encouragement through the doctor. At the end of the appointment, the doctor will personally reward the most courageous, patient and courageous patient!
This approach comforts, gives positive emotions, and helps fight fears for the sake of the desired gift. Gradually, positive behavior is reinforced - going to the dentist brings joy, not horror.
Too much treatment is bad
Having conquered the child’s fear and persuaded him to come to the appointment, it is easy to make a mistake and ask the doctor to cure all his teeth in one visit. Excessive time in the chair aggravates the baby's panic - next time it will be more difficult to convince him to go to the doctor.
Rodikova Tatyana
“We discourage parents from complex treatment. This is bad for the child - his peace and comfort. If you really need to treat several teeth in one appointment, you should think about sleep treatment or high-quality sedation.”
Anesthesia as salvation
Treatment under sedation is an excellent solution for fearful children. Nitrous oxide will relieve stress, eliminate fear, and help you relax during your dentist appointment. A positive perception will help the child evaluate the doctor’s work differently, and the fear will gradually disappear.
Advice for parents is the first step in overcoming a child’s fear of dentists. But what to do if a child is afraid of the dentist and nothing helps? In this case, close cooperation between doctors and the mother and father of the young patient is necessary. The fight against fears is carried out consistently - one step at a time. The child is introduced to the clinic, doctors, taught how to brush teeth on models and treat animals. They tell him fairy tales about funny characters and show him cartoons. Gradually, trust and positivity are formed, the child sees that dental treatment is not scary, and the attitude towards doctors becomes normal.
Stay Positive
We recommend talking with your child about their healthy teeth and positive dental care outcomes. The media can show dentistry in a fun and healthy light.
Show your child how children’s teeth are treated: for example, “Peppa Pig” has an excellent episode of a meeting with a dentist.
In some cases, a child's dental anxiety may reflect their parents and how they form their opinions about dental treatment. If you talk about the “negative” aspects of dentistry, your child will dwell on these ideas more than if the appointment was phrased in positive language.
Instead of talking about “needles,” “fillings,” or “drills,” we recommend explaining the benefits of a clean, healthy smile and how your dentist cares for you.
Going to the dentist with a child
My average (5.9) lost teeth in six months. And for us this is horror, because she is afraid of doctors, medicine, etc. Therefore, going to the dentist is an impossible task for us. At the beginning of summer, she had some kind of impulse and she succumbed to persuasion and agreed to go to the dentist. She sat there for half an hour, for me it was something unimaginable. She endured suction, injection and drilling. But I got tired at the moment when I just needed to put a temporary filling. She started to get so hysterical. I felt so sorry for her. She bit the doctor. She was hysterical with the glands in her mouth and wouldn’t let me put this filling in, she wouldn’t let me remove the glands. I myself was ready to fall into hysterics. Somehow they filled the holes with a filling and removed the glands. The child was shaking. She had nightmares at night, apparently she cried in her sleep. Luckily this lasted a couple of days. It passed later. She herself says that she did not suffer in vain, that she should have waited a little.
Then (naturally) the fillings fell out. We have two holes in our teeth. And we systematically prepared her for the dentist. All was good. She herself asked when we were going there. She asked me to go and treat all my teeth with a toy. By the way, there are already 6 teeth that need to be treated. Well, we came to a good clinic in a good mood. As usual, we lisped with her, chose cartoons and... We didn’t open our mouths. No amount of persuasion from me or the doctor convinced her. We left just like that.
And the tooth started to hurt. Then again she says, let's go. They arrived again, she sat down, opened her mouth, and looked. Let's go get an x-ray. That's all. Again, nothing. I won't, that's all. I won’t open my mouth, no matter what you do. Moreover, the doctor and the doctor thought they could try nitrous oxide, maybe it would calm down. But she said she wouldn't be able to breathe.
By the way, in a week we had to check the youngest’s frenulum. And we went together to a free clinic. I think let me ask you to look at the middle one too. Of course there's trash there. One large office and 6 chairs. I was scared myself. The doctor, a young man, sat her down (by the way, without babying), told her to open her mouth, and she even opened it. Well, he looked and said that 3 teeth needed to be treated. But there was a recording and there was no free time.
So what should I do? This won't lead to anything good. One tooth sometimes hurts. I can't imagine. My husband still suggests going to the free one, saying that he will see how other kids in the neighborhood are sitting and will sit down and do the same. And I'm afraid it will get worse.
Share your experience, who has the same panties kids. What ways are there? Only Sevonar comes to mind. But how harmless is it? Damn, it's expensive.
Make friends with fear
A child needs to visit the dentist for the first time to prevent caries, and not for dental treatment, says psychologist Daria Prikhodko. But even in this case, parents will still have to prepare the baby for this event - this should be done several days before the reception. The expert notes: it is completely impossible to overcome a child’s anxiety before going to the doctor, because fear of the unknown is a protective reaction of the body associated with the instinct of self-preservation.
“Before visiting a doctor, parents need to tell their child about the work of the dentist and the process of dental treatment, because he does not know what will happen to him in the office, so he will fantasize about this topic. Anxiety can also be aggravated by the excitement of the parents themselves: the baby reads the mother’s emotional state on a subconscious level. Forget about the soothing phrase “Just don’t be afraid of anything” - it betrays the parents’ anxiety. The child concludes: if mom is worried, then something dangerous is coming,” says Daria Prikhodko.
How to overcome the fear of going to the dentist for the first time?
- Let's play doctor To prepare your baby, start from afar: play doctor with him. First, mom or dad will have to transform into a dentist. The “toy” procedure should be close to the real one, Daria Prikhodko is sure. Meet the “patient” at the door, escort him to the chair, lay out the “devices” - preferably so that they vaguely resemble the real thing. During the “examination”, ask him to rinse his mouth, “turn on” the drill. After the procedure, be sure to thank the “patient” and then switch roles. “Role play is a great way to cope with anxiety. Then, at the appointment, the baby will watch with interest the actions of the real doctor, which will distract him from painful sensations. It is also important to draw the child’s attention to the positive aspects of dental prevention and treatment: tell him that dentists help children’s teeth be healthy and beautiful,” says the expert.
- “Bad” word Pediatric dentist Marina Podolina, in turn, advises parents to exclude the word “hurt” from their vocabulary: “You shouldn’t tell your baby that it won’t hurt, no matter how much you want to calm him down. During the appointment, I don’t use this word at all, replacing it with the phrases “Is everything okay?”, “What’s bothering you?”
- Be healthy Marina Podolina says: before visiting the dentist, the child should be healthy, in a good mood and well-rested. If these requirements are met, it does not matter whether the appointment is made in the morning or in the evening.
- A gift from the tooth fairy “You can promise a child a small gift for good behavior at the doctor, so that the baby has an incentive. Before going to the clinic, remind him where you are going to go, tell him that the dentist wants to clean his teeth or count them - is everything in place,” says Marina Podolina.
We present the courage candy
If a child has visited the dentist and is frightened, try to “share” this fear into two, advises psychologist Daria Prikhodko. Don’t laugh at your child and don’t use examples of peers who boldly cross the threshold of a doctor’s office. “Be attentive to your child, first of all ask the doctor what scared him. Then invite him to draw his fear. Don’t judge the drawing, but be sincerely interested in: what is depicted on the paper, what the characters are doing, what is the worst thing in this picture for the baby,” advises Daria Prikhodko.
According to the expert, recognizing the fact that the baby was really scared will help a child survive a frightening experience: “Yes, it looks like you were really scared.” Then he will be able to share his feelings with the parent - the intensity of the experience will decrease. “Then transform the “scary” drawing into a positive or funny one. Invite your child to change the plot so that the boy or girl in the picture is not scared. It may be necessary to add a protector who protects against pain, or the doctor shown in the picture will give the patient a courage candy. Any story that helps a child cope with difficulties will do,” notes the psychologist.
If the child doesn’t like any of the options, you can invite him to tear the drawing. “Tell me that along with the destruction of the “scary drawing”, the fear of dental treatment also goes away. This art therapy technique can be repeated several times if the child continues to be afraid. The parent can also take on the role of the “fearful patient.” Let the child-turned-kind-dentist try to calm him down. Afterwards, you can switch roles and repeat all the “calming” actions of the baby,” says Daria Prikhodko. If parents feel that a change of dentist is still necessary, then it would be ethical to warn the new doctor about the problem. But under no circumstances should you panic - only then will your baby become calm and confident.
Let's kick out the worm
Dentist Marina Podolina advises one of the parents to be sure to accompany the child during the first appointment with the dentist: “It is ideal if the one who spends the most time at home with the child goes to the doctor with the child. The baby should feel the support of a loved one, since he is in an unfamiliar place and surrounded by strangers. Let him take his favorite toy with him to the dental office - it will help him distract himself.” According to Marina Podolina, the dentist himself should do everything to ensure that the baby asks for an appointment. The specialist believes that treatment should resemble a game. “The reception should begin with an introduction to the baby, followed by a short excursion with a story about magic instruments. I show them to the patient, let them hold them in their hands, roll them on the chair, and tell a story about the tooth fairy who lives in my office. I turn on cartoons and only then start working,” says the expert. According to the dentist, game moments should be present in everything. Therefore, Marina Podolina, according to her, does not tell the child that she will drill a tooth, but explains that she will “drive the worm out of the tooth” and “sweep the mouth with buzzers.”
