5 Tips To Prevent Your Child From Developing A Dental Phobia

We too often hear of people going years without visiting a dentist due to a phobia- and when they finally pluck up the courage to get themselves seen it’s because they are in pain and usually requiring comprehensive treatment. I’m sure you won’t be too surprised when I tell you that children are not born with a phobia of dentists. A phobia is described as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. Much like other phobias, dental phobia is something that can develop due to a number of causes. Here are 5 tips to help prevent your child from developing a dental phobia:

Early introduction to the dental environment

The Australian Dental Association recommends that a child first attends the dentist when their first tooth has erupted- usually around their first birthday. At this age we recommend that children attend an appointment with Mum or Dad so they can start to become familiar with the dental environment and not be too startled when it’s their turn.

Regular Dental Visits

This can be different for everyone but generally your dentist will recommend you visit once a year for a comprehensive check- up. Regular check ups ensure there is minimal chance of significant treatment being required at a young age, which can be quite distressing. If there are any issues picked up by the dentist at the check up, these can be treated early on and is generally straightforward and less frightening.

Prevention is better cure

Start practicing good oral hygiene habits from an early age- dental visits are always more pleasant if no treatment is required (for kids and adults!). Practice brushing twice a day and educate your children on good and bad foods for their teeth. There are some great resources on You Tube regarding dental care- Peppa Pig has a terrific episode at the dentist which from our experience, kids seem to love! There are also timed brushing videos so children can brush two minutes in sync with the video.

Dental Legends (otherwise known as Paediatric Specialist Dentists)

Sometimes despite our best efforts dental treatment is still required. This does not mean you or your child have done anything wrong as there can be many different reasons for the requirement of dental treatment. If there is significant dental treatment required it can be a good idea to see a dental paediatric specialist. Specialist paediatric clinics are designed to be very child friendly, so children with a mild dental phobia often find the specialist clinics an exciting and interesting place to visit.

Keep it Positive

Phobias are often developed due to ‘learned responses’, meaning a child will mimic the responses to certain stimuli from those around them. Therefore if you have a dental phobia yourself be careful not to let it rub off on your kid! You can do this by keeping your language around visiting the dentist positive; rather than painting the dentist as the big baddie who will tell you off for not brushing your teeth, try making it more warm and supportive. For example, “Let’s keep your teeth nice and clean so we can show the dentist how good you are at brushing your teeth”, or "The dentist is like a doctor for your teeth; if any of your teeth are sick the dentist is there to help them get better.” Keeping language positive will help to avoid children thinking of the dentist as a dreadful place to go!

If you have any further questions about paediatric dental care please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us!