You booked your kid’s dental hygiene appointment. Now what?

Visiting the dentist for routine dental cleanings and evaluations is an essential part of keeping your kids healthy. But when it comes to making a dental visit a fun experience instead of a stressful one, it’s common for parents to wonder how. “To get my child excited about the dentist is no easy task,” many parents claim.

While many children aren’t enthusiastic about visiting the dentist, there are some simple kids’ dentist tips you can implement to make your next dental hygiene appointment to a pediatric dentist in Plano, TX, go smoothly.

Prepare your kids ahead of time.

For children, the prospect of a visit to the dentist can be intimidating and even frightening. That’s why it’s important that parents discuss the dental hygiene appointment in advance to prepare the child. They’ll be much calmer going in if they know what’s going to happen.

If your child has expressed anxiety about going to the dentist in the past, it can be tempting to wait until the day of to tell them about an appointment. However, it is best to let your child know well in advance about the appointment.

Having an appointment coming up can be a good opportunity to discuss your child’s overall brushing and flossing habits as well.

Make it clear to your child what the importance of a dental hygiene appointment is. Children don’t intuitively know why the dentist needs to poke around at their mouth for a while and won’t understand preventive care until someone explains it to them.

Tell your child about plaque and how it forms from deposits of bacteria in their mouth. Children will be able to understand the importance of having a dentist address this issue with special tools in order to remove plaque and prevent tooth decay.

Don’t forget about your needs.

When you’re considering kids’ dentist tips, don’t forget to think about what you can do to make the process easier on yourself. When you allow yourself to be calmer and less stressed, your children will take note and feel more confident about the entire process.

Make sure that you have plenty of time surrounding the appointment. You don’t want to be in a big rush, as your child will pick up on the stress, and they’ll become more anxious.

The question of “how to get my child excited about the dentist” can become more complicated if you’re taking multiple children at once. Keep in mind that having to wait longer can cause the child going second to become anxious.

Luckily, a good pediatric dentist’s office will have toys or dental books that your child can use to pass the time and keep their mind off the appointment itself.

Managing children and making sure they’re prepared for their appointment can become a stressful experience, so try taking some time for self-care and relaxation the morning of or the day before the appointment.

Check out some children’s books about dentistry.

Children are often anxious about the dentist because it’s an unfamiliar experience. Even if they’re keeping up with routine visits every six months, that’s long enough for the experience to seem new and potentially frightening.

One of the most effective ways that any child can become familiar with something is through the use of stories. You can find all kinds of children’s books about visits to the dentist that can help prepare your child and make positive associations with dental visits.

Understanding the appointment as a narrative can bring a lot of comfort to your child and ground the concept in reality. While discussing the importance and intention of dental hygiene appointments can also be helpful, understanding the appointment as a simple sequence of events can really prepare your child for their visit.

End the appointment with a special treat.

Of course, you can always make your child a bit more enthusiastic about the appointment by promising a special treat afterward. There are plenty of fun activities that you can treat your family to here in Plano to keep your child’s attention off any concerns about their appointment.

This can be as simple as heading over to a favorite park or playground after the appointment. It really doesn’t take much for most children to get excited about the upcoming treat after their dental hygiene appointment.

Turn to an experienced pediatric dentist.

If you’re concerned about how your child will fare at the dentist, then you should consider going with an experienced pediatric dentist instead of a general dentist. A pediatric dentist has the unique experience necessary to improve the patient experience for children, making visiting the dentist more comfortable.

Dr. Jeffrey C. Jaynes provides a very welcoming and warm environment that will have your child less reluctant to visit. Our team strives to ensure that going to the dentist is a fun, positive experience that both you and your children can enjoy.

If you need a pediatric dentist in Plano, TX, for a routine dental hygiene appointment, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey C. Jaynes today.