Children are more prone to fear certain things than adults simply because more of the world is unknown to them. For toddlers and young children, many of the experiences they have throughout the day are new. Things like visiting the dentist, which may be nothing for an adult, can be panic-inducing for a small child. Fortunately, at Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, we know about this fear, and we take extra steps in ensuring comfort for your child so that they can have the most enjoyable experience possible.
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to a child being afraid of the dentist. For this reason, it is important that parents take the lead in helping their children feel comfortable when visiting our office. Not all children have a fear of the dentist or at least the same level of fear. However, parents are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing or minimizing their child’s fear of the dentist.
A couple of things that you can do to ensure comfort for your child during dental treatment include:
- Starting dental visits at an early age – The earlier a child visits our office, the better it is going to be. It is best if their first visits are not for emergency care, but instead for preventative care. This allows a child to become comfortable in our office and not only associate dental visits with discomfort and chaos.
- Keep it simple – Some parents try to sway their child’s fear by giving them way too many details about what’s going to happen at the dentist visit. It’s better to keep things simple. Have a positive attitude, but do not assure your child that everything is going to be perfect. If your child needs care, they may end up losing trust in you and the dentist if you make unfulfilled promises.
It is important for the dental office to also take steps to make your child’s visit easy from the get-go. The child should feel comfortable at the dentist’s office. At Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, we ensure comfort for your child by having a treehouse in the waiting room. This is an enchanting place where the child can have fun, be distracted and not feel nervous in the moments leading up to the visit.
We also have video games and a movie amphitheater as other excellent ways to distract the child and make them feel excited about being at our office. If the child is going to receive treatment, we feel that offering them their personal movie choice, allowing them the option of scented nitrous oxide and providing them with comfortable, cozy pillows and blankets makes the dental experience that much easier for them.
Visiting the dentist regularly is an important part of everyone’s health. Research shows that people who visit the dentist regularly as adults do so because they developed the habit as a child. This underscores the importance of making the dentist’s office a place where a child feels safe, welcome and protected.
For your child’s dentistry needs, schedule an appointment at Ashburn Children’s Dentistry in Ashburn, where we pride ourselves in ensuring comfort for every child we treat. Contact us today to schedule a dental appointment for your child.
