At such a young age, it is better to teach kids how to maintain good oral health condition properly. Having the first pediatric dentistry, as early as possible, is highly beneficial. It is better to familiarize your kid with the dental room for the kids first pediatric dentistry appointment. This way, the kids will feel at ease with their new environment. But being a first-timer, how should you prepare for this? Let me tell you some details about it.
Facts about kids first pediatric dentistry
Pediatric dentistry is the field of science wherein it mainly focuses on the oral health of infants to young adulthood. On the first dental visit of the kids, you can expect the following scenarios.
- Your first appointment will not take too much of your time. Typically, the first appointment is more on conversational between the parents and the dentist.
- Secondly, the dentist will ask about your child’s condition. These questions will help the dentist identify for the existing risks that may affect the condition of the child.
- Additionally, the first visit is to make the kid feel at ease initially with the new environment of the dental clinic. Dr Meng from Boutique Dental Care in Chatswood has invested in her clinic’s decoration so that patients feel as calm as possible.
- Furthermore, the dentists will educate you about the importance of good nutrition. This also includes the discussion of good oral health care.
- The dentist will also provide counselling regarding the habits of kids, such as thumb-sucking or usage of a pacifier.
- As a parent, you will also play a vital role during the evaluation of your child. A knee-to-knee position might be practised. This where your kid is sitting on your lap facing you, then the dentist is in front of you. You will lay down the head of your kid on the lap of the dentist. This way, both of you can observe the oral condition of your child.
Preparation for kids first pediatric dentistry
Having an early appointment with the dentist will increase the opportunity of early detection for potential oral health risks. In this case, parents should prepare their kids beforehand to help their kids be familiar with a dental clinic set-up. We have stated below some of the preparations the parents should do for their kids first pediatric dentistry.
Introduce a positive outlook to your kids about a dental appointment. Even if you are anxious as well, you have to encourage your kids positively. As much as possible, do not talk about any bad experiences that you personally had in a dental appointment.- Look for a friendly pediatric dentist for your child. Find a dentist who knows how to approach a kid in a friendly and calm manner.
- It would be better to tell your kids about the appointment a day before or at the actual date of appointment. This is to avoid them from overthinking what could happen during a dental appointment.
- On the other hand, you can also prepare your kids beforehand by watching videos or reading books about going to a dental clinic. You have to select the videos or books sharing positive vibes about the first dental visit. This will help have an idea about a dental clinic and think of it as nothing scary at all.
- Additionally, you can also play games with your kids, and you will play as a dentist. You can give them the idea of how is it going to be on their first dental visit. This way, they will not be afraid of visiting a dentist.
- Most kids have their favorite toy that makes them feel relaxed. In this case, you can bring it along with you during the dental appointment to make your kid relax and feel secured.
The full responsibility of parents
It is important to take care of your family’s health. The positive outlook of your kids depends on how you prepared them before their first pediatric dentistry check. You have the full responsibility to open up the importance of maintaining good oral health condition. In this case, you can tell them that the dentist is their friend who is willing to help them keep their teeth healthy and strong.
If the tips mentioned above are still not effective, you can directly ask the dentist for additional pointers to encourage your kids to visit them. Always remember that dental appointments are necessary to achieve your child’s good oral health.
