How to Prepare Your Child for Their First Dentist/Orthodontist Visit

Your child’s first dental visit can set the stage for a life-long commitment to positive dental care. Your child may have seen a dentist as a baby, which we recommend, but the first visit where they’ll be aware of what’s happening and definitely remember is one to approach with added thought and care. 

To learn more or schedule your child’s exam, call Oasis Pediatric Dental Care & Orthodontics or email us through our website. Meanwhile, here a few tips to make the visit a success.

Model positive attitudes and behaviors yourself

If you dislike going to the dentist or take poor care of your dental health, your child is likely to adopt similar thoughts and behaviors. Show your child that taking care of your oral hygiene is something you value, while seeking ways to make it enjoyable. Choose your own toothbrushes at the store together, for example. 

Bringing your child along to your dental appointments can also help by allowing them to feel comfortable with the atmosphere and staff and seeing you handle the whole process well.  

Highlight the benefits of dental care

Chances are, your child wants to feel good and sport a bright smile as much as you do. While there’s no need to give lectures about the benefits of dental care, consider sprinkling them into everyday conversation so that your child can start to understand how dental health is linked to overall health. You could point out, for example, that positive dental hygiene can:

• Boost your memory
• Help stabilize blood sugar
• Lower your risk for cavities 
• Lower your risk for a heart attack
• Prevent tooth loss due to damage
• Promote fresh-smelling breath
• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce your risk for certain infections

Address any anxiety

Some butterflies about dental visits are common and often not a huge issue. If your child’s anxiety is intense, however, or they have an anxiety disorder, talk to your dentist about possible use of safe and gentle sedatives. Encouraging your child to talk about their feelings without shaming them is equally important.

Add fun to the appointment day 

Taking care of your teeth by way of a routine dental exam is something to celebrate. Leading up to the visit, decide on a special outing you can enjoy with your child afterward. Go to their favorite park, for example, or pick up fruit smoothies or a book or toy they’ve been desiring on the way home. 

Schedule your child’s dental exam with Dr. Nathalie Phaeton or Dr. Mina Abdolahi by calling our office or reaching out to us through our website today.