How To Help Your Child Like The Dentist

Children need not go to the dentist early on in their lives. For this reason, many kids do not see a dentist until they are experiencing a problem or pain. Being introduced to the dentist in this way can sometimes create more anxiety and fear around the experience. However, if you take your child to the dentist routinely, at least once per year, he or she will be familiar and comfortable with the experience. And, when cavities or work is necessary, it will not be as big of a deal. You can compare this with going to the doctor. Children are familiar with visiting the doctor regularly when they are very young, to get immunizations and checkups. When they are sick or hurt, going to the doctor feels like a natural thing. Making the dentist a natural experience will decrease fear and help a child relax.

There are steps you can take before even taking your child to the office. Going online and viewing edentist sites that offer fun tips or games for children to play can help them become more excited about having their teeth checked. Going in to the bathroom and sitting on the sink to let a child count his or her teeth can be a fun way to discover oral hygiene. If you have two or more children, you can make a game of counting who has the most teeth, or the biggest tooth. Your child may even be interested to know why some teeth are pointed and others are wide and flat. Looking at the teeth of animals and how they differ can help your child acknowledge that teeth are important.

You do not have to find an edentist site to search a few images of animal teeth. Making a game for your child by downloading a few images of animal teeth and then having him or her guess what animal the tooth belongs to can be challenging and fun. For example, save pictures of shark teeth, dinosaur teeth, cow teeth, etc and add in a photo of human teeth (even better, toddler teeth). Your child will get a kick out of recognizing teeth of other kids just like him.

After you have identified all the various shapes and sizes of teeth, take your son or daughter on a trip to the store and let him pick out a brand new toothbrush. There is a wide variety of character-themed brushes in bright colors. Toothpaste also comes in many packages or styles. If your child really likes the pump toothpaste as opposed to the squeezable tube, then let him get his favorite kind. The more fun surrounding brushing your teeth, the more motivated your child will be. If it seems like your child is protesting a lot about brushing, implement a reward system and give him stars or tokens when he does it without arguing. There are many ways to encourage your child in positive behaviors. As a parent, you will know how to motivate your little one.

Parenting is primarily about preparing your child for adulthood. Giving him or her a foundation of excellent oral hygiene will ensure that he or she takes care of his smile. And, parents, this can save you a lot of money in the long run, when they do not need a lot of unpleasant dentist work.