How do you prepare your child for a visit to the dentist? 

How do you prepare your child for a visit to the dentist? 

On 7 December 202225 June 2024In Polish Dentist in the UK, Paediatric dentistry

It has happened! The phone call has been made, the appointment has been made - it's time to prepare your child for the dental appointment. As you are no doubt aware, you need to approach this in such a way that your child will be happy to visit the dentist in the future, so that he or she does not have any significant problems later on in adulthood - but also so that he or she does not postpone preventive visits indefinitely. 

Read our mini-guide and find out how to behave and what to do so that your child is not afraid of the surgery! 

Fear of the dentist yet? Read our article: "Fear of the dentist in a child - how to combat it?". 

The dentist is not as bad as he is painted

A huge proportion of our population still avoids visits to the dentist's surgery, explaining this with fear. We completely understand this - dentophobia is no mean feat and we know that it is difficult to win against it. However, not every case of fear is a phobia.

Sometimes it is the aftermath of a single traumatic event from the past, We know it's not that easy, but we encourage you to break through. We know that it is not that easy, but we encourage you - it is worth breaking through. surgeries nowadays are nothing like the scary places that many of us remember from our childhood! 

And this is precisely our first piece of advice. If you are a parent who is afraid of the dentist, you may not be passing on a good role model to your child but your own harmful one. Try to break away from old beliefs - and find out for yourself that a few minutes in the dentist's chair is really nothing scary! Read our text: "Fear of the dentist - what is dentophobia and how to deal with it?". 

The image shows a dentist performing a dental procedure on a young boy lying in a dental chair. The dentist, wearing gloves, is using a professional dental instrument to perform the treatment on the child's teeth. The boy appears calm and relaxed during the procedure.

How to prepare your child for a visit to the dentist? The most important rule - don't cheat! 

If this is your child's first visit, your little one certainly has no idea what to expect. He may have heard stories at nursery or school, perhaps he saw the surgery in a fairy tale. However, it is your job to present to your child what it will really be like. Tell him or her that you are going into the surgery, where there will be a chair. Mr or Mrs dentist will look at the teeth and check if there is anything to repair.

VERY IMPORTANT: if you promise your child beforehand, that the dentist will only check the state of his mouth, under no circumstances change your mind!

If the dentist assesses that a cavity has appeared on one of the teeth and it would be worth fixing the hole, do not make your child sit in the chair. Unless your child agrees to this repair himself - however, this must be your little one's decision. If he or she is lied to, he or she will lose confidence in both you and the dentist's surgery. 

Also ensure that before the procedure - if it occurs - Don't convince your child that there will definitely be no pain. You cannot be sure that this is true. During the first visit, the dentist himself should tell you what could possibly hurt and how your child can communicate this. 

Did you know that caring for milk teeth is crucial to your little one's health? Read our article: "How do you look after milk teeth in children and why is it so important?". 

The painting depicts a little girl with pigtails sitting in a dentist's chair holding a model of a tooth. The child is wearing a pink sweatshirt and a blue treatment napkin. The dental office scene suggests that the little girl is at the dentist's appointment learning about dental care.

Be patient and factual

Before their first visit to the dentist, your child may have a whole host of questions! Listen to them carefully and then give factual answers. Don't mention anything about pain at the outset, as this can cause unnecessary anxiety.

However, if a child specifically asks, you can answer truthfully. That yes, sometimes it hurts a little, but she can always tell the dentist to stop the procedure or give an anaesthetic. It is important to find a suitably qualified person who knows how to approach your child. You are welcome to our office - we know exactly how to handle the little ones! 

The painting shows a smiling boy with curly light brown hair sitting in a dentist's chair. The amused child is being attended to by a person wearing blue gloves, holding a dental instrument. The scene takes place in a dentist's office, items of equipment such as a treatment lamp are visible.

How do you prepare your child for a visit to the dentist? Consider an adaptation visit!

Adaptation visits are a great way to get your child accustomed to the surgery! During this time, they will be able to carefully look around the room, ask questions of the dentist and even familiarise themselves with the instruments! We strongly encourage all parents to take this step as soon as possible. Read what we have already written on this subject: "Your child's first visit to the dentist in the UK". 

It is very important to prepare the child for regular visits to the dentist. This is the best preventive measure against caries or other oral diseases, for example inflammation.

As soon as possible, bring your child to a visit to the dentist - take care of the future of his smile!