A visit to the dentist can be daunting for a child. Surrounded by strange tools, lights and noises they can understandably feel nervous, uncertain and even a little scared.
Knowing the first experiences your child has with a dentist can have a lifetime impact on their dental habits, we help young patients feel at ease by getting to know them, making them laugh and involving them in the process.
By giving your child the opportunity to ask questions and explaining what will happen throughout the appointment, we take away their fear of the unknown to provide them with an experience that is as calming and comfortable.
Your child should see a dentist as soon as they turn two and then every six months after. By having regular oral health assessments and cleans we can identify, fix and prevent any issues before they become problematic.
By taking a preventative stance with your children’s dentistry, and having your child visit the dentist from an early age, we can prevent their first visits to the dentist being due to pain, avoiding fears and an association of discomfort with the dentist chair.
First and foremost it is important not to project any fear that you have as a result of bad experiences on to your child so be mindful of the words and body language you use. Children will pick up your fear and become fearful themselves as a result.
Keep explanations light, mentioning that a dentist (or tooth doctor) will check their teeth and give them a clean. If your child is fearful of the dentist or has had a bad experience, please let us know at the time of booking so we can work with you to alleviate these fears from the moment you arrive.
Our friendly team will welcome both of you into one of our rooms and encourage your child to have a ride in the dentist chair. For very young patients, we will often have you sit on the chair first with them on your lap. We will then explain the process of checking their mouth and cleaning their teeth in an age appropriate way.
At this stage we will also introduce them to the tools we will use, tell them about some of the noises they will likely hear and give them the opportunity to ask questions before we start. Afterwards, your child will receive a dental goodie bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss.
Over the course of your child’s dental care, we may identify issues that need to be addressed to prevent damage or further damage to your child’s teeth. This could be as simple as filling deep crevasses in their molars to prevent cavities or fixing bigger dental issues through fillings, crowns, wisdom teeth removal, tooth extractions, and orthodontics including braces and Invisalign.
In these cases, we aim to make it as comfortable and pain-free as possible for your child offering pain relief when needed through local anaesthetic.
Going to the dentist doesn’t need to be a scary or unpleasant experience for your child. Avoid pain and discomfort by booking your child in for a regular dental check up today on (02) 4822 8224 and while you are speaking to our friendly team why not book yourself in for one too!