How To Help Your Child Feel Comfortable at the Dentist
The first dental appointment is an important milestone in a child’s growth. It is something that is a necessary part of their growth, and it can make a considerable difference in your child’s dental and mouth health throughout the years. That is why it is so important to schedule your first dental appointment for you child once their first tooth has broken the skin.
Setting the appointment this early may seem silly to some, but it is truly a vital time. Not only will this allow your child to become accustomed to the dentist at an early age, it will also help to weed out any chances of gum issues, or teething issues. Your child’s dentist will also be able to give you tips and tricks for how to ween off of the bottle if you haven’t already, and how to introduce effective brushing with your child.
Because this appointment is so important, you know you will want it to go well. However, because of the tender young age of infants who are cutting their first teeth, they’re not the type to sit still and enjoy things in their mouths. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help your child feel comfortable, confident and safe when they make their first visit to the dentist.
The first and most important thing you can do to help your child to be ready for their first dental appointment is to find a dentist that is familiar with working with children, like Kool Smiles. From there, you will want to get them accustomed to having hands in their mouth, aside from their own. The best way to accomplish this is to start your brushing habits early. As soon as you begin feeding solid foods, you can clean your baby’s mouth out with a wet wash cloth. This helps to clear away food particles, and it can help your baby to be more accustomed to having fingers in their mouth.
Another good way to help your baby to sit still and stay calm is to find them a toy to hold on to while they are in the dentist’s chair. For some children, this may be as easy as picking up their favorite stuffed toy and bringing it along. For others, you may need to buy a special new toy that they can’t play with until they get to the dentist’s office. This can help them to stay entertained for longer period of time, if they are the type that bore of toys easily.
When it comes to preparing your child for their first dental appointment, there are things that you will need to do as well. If your child takes any medication, you will want to make a list of what they are and how often they take them. This includes over the counter medication and herbal supplements, as they can have an effect on your child’s health.
You will also want to tell your child’s dentist if they have any sort of sucking habits. This includes still taking a bottle, using a pacifier, or sucking their thumb. Because of the soft nature of a child’s bones, these type of habits can have an effect on the formation of teeth and on the shape of the jaw.
This is why most doctors and dentists suggest that you take away the pacifier and stop thumb sucking before teeth begin to break, that way your child’s mouth isn’t at risk. You will also want to make sure that your child does not sleep with a bottle or a cup, so that they do not risk tooth decay. Tooth decay in baby teeth can lead to a higher risk of tooth decay in the adult teeth, as the baby teeth act as placeholders for them.
By using these tips, you can help to make sure that your child has a positive first experience at the dentist.
