3 Ways To Prepare Your Kids For A Big Dental Appointment
Many people have a hard time when it comes to visiting the dentist. And for your kids, if they had a bad experience when they were little, or if you frequently speak of bad experiences that you’ve had at the dentist in your life, it’s very likely that they will feel nervous about visiting the dentist, especially if they’re having something major done on their teeth like dental implants in Harrisburg, getting a tooth pulled, or getting braces. But luckily, there are things that you can do to help minimize the mental and emotional pain that your kids could be experiencing.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to prepare your kids for a big dental appointment.
Don’t Let It Be A Surprise
While you might think that not talking about this dental appointment too far in advance could be a good idea for your kid so that they don’t have a lot of time to dwell on it, letting something like a big dental appointment be a surprise will likely be much worse for everyone involved. Rather, you should calmly and strategically speak with your child about what will be taking place before the day of your appointment.
As you speak to them about it, talk about what the process will be like for them. If it proves helpful, you could have your child practice sitting in a chair with their mouth open while you pretend to be the dentist. The more familiar they are with what will be happening, the easier the process is likely to be for them.
Don’t Come With A Full Stomach
On the day of their big dental appointment, it’s wise not to come to the appointment with a full stomach.
Especially if you’re concerned that your child might have an emotional reaction to going to the dentist and could start crying, you’ll want there to be as little of a chance as possible of them making themselves sick and throwing up. So if they don’t have much in their bellies before their appointment, this could reduce the gagging and vomiting.
Bring Something To Help Keep Them Calm
Sometimes, what your kids really need when they are in a scary situation is just something to help them feel calm and comfortable. For some kids, this can be their favorite stuffed animal or toy. For others, it might be music or a show that helps to keep them calm. So if there’s something like this that you could bring with them to the appointment, that could be a great idea.
If your child is going to have a big dental appointment coming up, consider using the tips mentioned above to help prepare them for what this appointment is likely to mean for them so that they can stay calm, cool, and collected.
