Dental Health Care

Parents play an important role in preparing their child to make first visit to the dentist a pleasant experience. Any form of anxiety manifested by a parent will be perceived by the child.

Tips for a pleasant first visit.

Talk to the child’s visit to the dentist, limiting details. Answer any questions with simple answers. Allow the dentist or periodontist (especially for children) meet the more complex issues. These professionals are trained to describe the instruments to children in a less threatening and more understandable language. Never tell a child that something will cause pain or cause harm.

Never tell a child an unpleasant experience that the parent had at the dentist.

Emphasize the importance of dental hygiene of the child at home, and explain that the dentist is a friendly person who makes sure that sanitation procedures are good.

Do not promise a reward after a visit to the dentist.

Remember it is normal that a child is more or less timid, either because it is separated from the parent, either through fear of the unknown. A dentist who treats children know how to deal with those who are fearful, and the skills to put them at ease.

Methods to calm the child.

Children fears can be expressed in several ways. Some cry, others throwing things. The dentist may use several techniques to calm the child:

Voice control. The dentist may use a soft voice and friendly, making the farm if necessary. Simple instructions. The dentist uses simple words and can demonstrate an example of an object or a model before treating the child.

Distraction. The dentist can tell a story to distract the child.

Sedation. The dentist or periodontist can use sedation to help calm a child more agitated. Sedation may be gaseous (nitrous oxide) or drug (Ativan or Valium).