Finding ways to make dental checkups an enjoyable experience for your children is often a question that plagues most parents. It’s not until your child suddenly reaches that terrible teething stage that all of a sudden dental care enters your mind, but suddenly, like all other milestones in parenting, it’s a hurdle you have to jump through. Traditionally, dentists were people to be feared, but we at Leamington Spa Dental Practice truly believe that will be the right frame of mind and proactive, positive attitude that all children can start on a happy journey to children’s dentistry Leamington.

Where Do The Worries Come From?

Let’s start off by acknowledging that no matter what your age is, the thought of someone poking and prodding about in a particularly sensitive area isn’t really ideal for anyone, let alone if you’re only a tiny person who doesn’t understand what’s going on. As we’ve already said, traditionally, dental checkups were generally viewed as bad things; there were negative connotations that have been forged through years of bad press in the media and old wives’ tales of trauma passed down from generation to generation.

We at Leamington Spa Dental Practice don’t dismiss someone’s experience, but we do want parents to acknowledge how they feel about the dentist and, if they do have a negative mindset, challenge themselves to address this first. We can’t expect our children’s dentistry Leamington to be rainbows and smiles if our own isn’t.

How To Build A Positive Bubble

When we start to unpack this, it’s actually very simple. The first big thing to focus on is language. The language you use surrounding the topic of dentists in your child’s early years is very important. Try not to say things like “it will be ok” or “it will only hurt a little bit”, but try “the dentist is here to make your teeth stronger” or “they are doing what they can to help you”. In this way, you can manage expectations and not force your child into already thinking something terrible will happen when they go to a dentist. When we really think about it, a general check-up isn’t particularly painful; if anything, it’s probably just uncomfortable.

Open up a dialogue. Don’t be afraid to talk about dentists and the role they play in your child’s health. It’s a common theme that when children are given a little bit of responsibility and treated like adults, they tend to rise to the occasion. Ask them about their concerns, why they think they have them and whether they’re warranted. Explain that dentists are actually there to aid in their health in the same way a doctor is.

Be open about the physical impacts of anxiety, and ask your child whether there’s anything you can do to help them feel better about visiting a dentist. It could be as simple as making a trip to the practice before an appointment to help them ease their worries. We at Leamington Spa Dental Practice take children’s dentistry Leamington seriously and will do all we can to assist you.