Just like adults, kids can have a wide range of fears. While some will happily do daring, dangerous things without realizing the risks, others will have a meltdown even while attempting the simplest, safest tasks. However, children’s fears usually come from something!
When dealing with dental phobia, understanding your child and the origin of their fear can help you know how to help them overcome it. After all, without the pediatric dentist, your child will likely face an entire lifetime of oral health issues and continual fear.
New, Unfamiliar Experiences
When faced with a new challenge or experience, some kids plow right ahead without any hesitation. Others are more nervous, unsure, and resistant to change. Your little one may fear what they don’t understand because they don’t know if it will hurt or help upfront.
To better prepare them for their first dental visit, talk about what will happen. In terms they can comprehend, explain why dental health is important and that the dentist is a friendly expert there to keep their smile strong and protected from pain and tiny “sugar bugs.” Plus, remember: the longer you bring them in regularly, the sooner they will become used to the environment and people.
Sensitivity to Light and Sounds
In addition to fear of the unknown, many kids suffer from stimulation sensitivity, meaning that if they become bombarded with noise and bright lights, they can become overwhelmed and demonstrate signs of phobia. Unfortunately, even pediatric dental offices have tools and instruments that can make plenty of sound, and bright light enables the pediatric dentist to see deep into your child’s mouth for their safety.
The good news is that board-certified pediatric dentists are trained in children’s development and how to make them feel more comfortable. If you are worried about your child becoming overstimulated, definitely reach out to your pediatric dentist and let them know your concerns. They may offer noise-canceling headphones connected to your child’s favorite movie, sunglasses, and other accommodations like sedation dentistry to keep them calm and happy.
Hearing or Seeing Scary Stories from Others
Although your child may seem not to hear you when you instruct them to clean up their toys, they often hear more than you realize. When you complain about getting dental work done or a routine visit or tell a scary past experience, they can assume that dental care is undesirable or worth fearing. Same thing goes with what they hear on the TV or tablets or from siblings. If they hear from people about bad situations, they will envision something similar happening to them.
Try to have a positive attitude about visiting the dentist for everyone. Show your own excitement about your upcoming appointment, so they can feel it’s a valuable, essential part of self-care in their life as well.
Regardless of the cause of your child’s phobia of the dentist, a pediatric dentist is the perfect partner in providing a good experience, reinforcing healthy at-home habits, and encouraging a lifetime of confident, happy smiles!
About the Practice
At Wash Park Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Patrick Bowman and Dr. Kathleen Waguespack are both board-certified pediatric dentists and parents with young children in their respective families. As such, they understand kids and help them feel comfortable in the chair at every visit. If sedation dentistry is necessary for wiggly, nervous, or special needs kids, we have multiple options available to make the appointment as successful and stress free as possible. To schedule an appointment with us, contact us online or call our Denver office by dialing 720-647-6310.