A child is afraid to have his teeth treated, how to prepare a child for the dentist

Content:

Where does the fear of going to the dentist come from?
The main mistakes of parents
How to overcome dental phobia
Contact the professionals!

Parents who care about their child’s health know how important it is to take their child to the dentist in a timely manner. However, many of them face the problem of fear of visiting the dentist's office. What is the reason that a child is afraid to have his teeth treated? And what should you do when it’s time to make another visit to the dentist? Let's try to figure this out.

Recommendations for adults

Choose a good doctor. Agree with him that during the first visit there will be no treatment, but simply a tour of the office and an introduction.
Positive emotions. Before the dentist, visit a pizzeria, a movie, or go to the park with your fidget. Let the child come to the doctor with positive emotions.
Well-fed means accommodating. Before taking your child to the dentist, first feed him well.
Do not overdo it. Do not ask your dentist to treat all your teeth at once in one visit. It will be difficult for the baby to sit in one place for a long time. It is better to go to the doctor several times over 1-2 weeks than just once, but staying in his office for several hours in a row.
Support your baby. Do not leave the dental office if the restless person asks to stay nearby.
Try not to worry yourself , since everything you feel can be passed on to the baby.
Be sure to praise your child when leaving the dentist's office. Tell him how much you love him, how proud you are of him.

The video provides additional information on how to teach your child not to be afraid of dentists.

Where does the fear of going to the dentist come from?

There may be several explanations for the fact that a child is afraid to go to the dentist. For example:

Meeting new people. A child's first visit to the doctor's office is just as stressful as the first day of kindergarten, for example. The child has to communicate with new people. Moreover, the interaction is quite close. And in this case, you can consult with a pediatrician on how to prepare your child for a visit to the dentist in order to take into account all the personal aspects of your child specifically.
Fear of pain. For many, a visit to the dentist is associated with pain and blood, which is the main reason why even adults struggle with the decision to visit the dentist. It is important to explain to the child that now there are many modern treatment methods that make any procedure painless.
Parents' conversations. You should not talk about your own dental treatment in negative terms in front of your child. After all, this can become another reason for children's fears.
Psychological discomfort. It is important that the baby feels a positive attitude towards him from the attending physician. If the specialist does not inspire confidence, this will be one of the reasons that the child is afraid of visiting the dentist.

Why are children afraid of dentists?

In the dentist’s office, children may be frightened by unusual sounds, the painfulness of the procedure, etc. “Usually in dentistry, children are afraid of the procedure or the doctor himself,” explains Alexander Chernykh, a dental surgeon at the MEDSI Children’s Clinic on Blagoveshchensky Lane .
- Those who are older may be frightened by anesthesia - an injection, a needle. Some children fear dental equipment that makes noise and vibrates. And very young patients often believe that the doctor will harm them, that he is a bad person, that they need to be saved from him.” Why is this happening? Most often due to negative experiences visiting a doctor in the past. “Unfortunately, this happens quite often, especially with young children: adults think: “We’ll hold the child, he’ll be treated, and everything will be fine.” And he remembers this violence and next time he doesn’t even come into the office,” warns Alexander Chernykh.

This negative experience can prevent a person from going to the dentist for years, even if the situation requires serious intervention.

The main mistakes of parents

Often parents themselves make mistakes that lead to the child not wanting to go to the dentist. Moreover, with age the situation may worsen. Among such errors are:

Psychological pressure. In everyday life, parents, without thinking about their conversations and actions, can form a number of complexes and fears in their baby. For example, knowing that children are afraid of pulling teeth, they can remind them to visit the dentist every time the child asks for candy. This creates a fear in the subconscious of visiting the dentist’s office.
Another problem with the formation of a psychological barrier before such visits can be intimidation of the baby if he disobeys and behaves badly at the doctor’s appointment. This way the child will form an association of the doctor with a sadist who is at one with the parents.
Fear of pain. In this case, the child should be explained that the treatment uses drugs that reduce sensitivity. At the same time, if you do not go to the doctor, your teeth may hurt more.
False promises. When deciding how to prepare a child for a trip to the dentist, some parents resort to the trick of promising that the doctor will not do anything at all, but will only conduct an examination. Or that after visiting the doctor you will go on an exciting trip. If the promises do not coincide with reality, then the child’s mistrust and fear will only increase.
Excessive emphasis on the problem. There is no need to focus on the fact that at hour X you need to visit the dentist’s office. It is not recommended to remind you once again that there are problems with teeth growth or their condition. It's better to just make an appointment. After all, you don’t have preparatory conversations before going to the park or buying tickets to the circus.
Lack of motivation. Explain to your child why to visit the dentist's office. This will instill responsibility for maintaining your own health and eliminate unnecessary fears.

Treatment under anesthesia

In Russia, children under 3 years of age must undergo dental procedures under general anesthesia. General anesthesia is also indicated for older children, but with extensive or complex treatment, for children with very severe dental phobia or with neurological abnormalities. Before anesthesia, an ECG must be done and a general blood test must be taken. An important role is played by an anesthesiologist-resuscitator - his presence on staff is mandatory - and equipment that monitors breathing parameters (ventilator), heart function, blood pressure and other important indicators.

Most often, inhalation anesthesia is used (gas is supplied through a special mask that does not cover the mouth). This form allows you to quickly introduce and remove anesthesia (children wake up in at least 10-15 minutes). The drug does not reduce blood pressure or inhibit heart function. In addition to the inhalation form, intravenous, intramuscular or rectal administration is sometimes used (relevant for short-term interventions). There is also a mixed type of anesthesia. In any case, anesthesia completely solves the problem of pain relief.

How to overcome dental phobia

If you don’t know what to do in a situation where a child is afraid of the dentist, then you should listen to a number of expert advice:

Start visiting the dentist from the first year of life. Do not think that only molars require treatment. After all, the subsequent formation of molars depends on the correct development of baby teeth. It is important to monitor the condition of the oral cavity from the first days of birth. Therefore, you will need dental consultations from the cradle. And in the future, you won’t have to solve the problem of how not to be afraid of the dentist for children. After all, your baby will perceive the doctor as an assistant and adviser.
Do not focus your child's attention on visiting the doctor. You should not once again remind your child that a visit to the doctor is scheduled for a specific date. It’s better to check it out during your next walk. The effect of surprise will allow the baby not to fully understand what is happening and not feel fear.
Choose the right time for your visit. If you decide to come to the doctor early, waking up your baby earlier than usual. Or made an appointment during your lunch nap. If a visit to the doctor is planned instead of a trip to the zoo or entertainment center. If you had to postpone your long-awaited trip to the sea for a scheduled visit to the doctor. Be prepared that your child will develop a negative attitude towards such an event.
Consider a reward system. Some parents, when looking for a solution to the situation of what to do if their child is afraid to have their teeth treated, resort to the option of placating their child with expensive purchases. However, this is not recommended, since on the one hand, a strong perception is formed that you can only get what you want by going to the doctor’s office. On the other hand, for a child such a visit is associated with additional stress. After all, he understands that parents will not just give money or gifts. This means that serious “tests” await him in the doctor’s office. It is better to suggest that after a visit to the dentist, take a walk to your favorite park, go on rides, and get some kind of souvenir in the doctor’s office. Such a visit should be associated with positive emotions and the exclusivity of the event.
Set an example. It is important to remember that visiting the dentist for preventive purposes is recommended not only in childhood. Parents should also visit a doctor. And you can do this together with your son or daughter. Show that mom and dad also go for preventive examinations. This will relieve unnecessary fears and allow the baby to feel like an adult, which is very important at the stage of growth and development.
Accompany your child. Do not leave your child alone in the doctor's office. This applies not only to situations where a tooth needs to be filled or pulled out. Be present during every appointment. This will allow the baby to feel supported and gain confidence.

Turn your visit to the dentist into a game. You can take your favorite toys with you or buy a children's set of oral hygiene tools. Continue the game at home so that the child at the dentist’s appointment does not think about the treatment process, but perceives what is happening as part of the exciting activities.
Tell stories. Buy books where the kind Aibolit helps the heroes cure their bad teeth, or the Tooth Fairy grants wishes and gives amazing miracles. Let your child become the hero of one of these fairy tales during a visit to the dentist.
Find options to shift your attention. Ask the doctor to turn on an interesting cartoon, or tell a fairy tale or funny story yourself while the baby is in the dentist’s chair.
Visit one doctor. Let your child get used to the doctor. After all, by trusting a child will be able to cope with fear faster.

Talk to your child. Explain to your child why to visit the dentist. Tell us that if you regularly check the condition of your oral cavity, you can avoid caries and the need to remove a tooth. Motivate your child for preventive examinations that will maintain oral health.
Schedule an orientation visit. There is no need to wait until your teeth hurt or your bite needs correction. It is better to include a visit to the dentist in the plan of important events without any special reason. In this case, the child’s first visit to the dentist will not leave associations with pain and other unpleasant manipulations in his psyche. After all, it will just be an inspection. And subsequent visits will form a clear understanding that visiting the dentist is a habitual activity that is not associated with painful sensations.
Build independence. Encourage your child to manage his or her own schedule for visiting the doctor's office. Explain why this needs to be done every six months. This way, the baby will be able to feel like an adult who has been entrusted with the responsibility for monitoring his health.
Don't cause problems. For parents, this advice should be basic. After all, it is not at all necessary to wait until the child begins to complain of toothache or the problem arises of the need for professional teeth cleaning, bite correction, milk tooth removal, or gum treatment. It is better to prevent problems and eliminate them at an early stage. And then you won’t have to think about the question of why children are afraid of the dentist. After all, a visit to the doctor will become as common as visiting a kindergarten, a visit to a hairdresser or a tutor.

And, of course, look for your dentist. After all, if a child is afraid to pull out a tooth, then this is quite natural and justified. Not every adult is ready to undergo such a procedure without fear. But in the case when a child becomes nervous, irritable, and capricious before each visit to the dentist, then you should think about the qualifications of the specialist you are visiting.

At what age should children be taken to the dentist?

Experts say: the sooner you start doing this, the better it will be. “You need to see a dentist every 6 months, even if there is nothing bothering you and the parents think everything is fine. In addition, such visits to the doctor remove the main fear - the fear of the unknown, notes Alexander Chernykh. “The child will know from an early age that the dentist helps, he is a friend and he can be trusted.”

But if you put off visits to the dentist until the last minute and bring your child to the dentist in case of acute pain, the child’s reaction may be unpredictable. Most likely, he will get the same negative experience from treatment and pain that will poison subsequent visits to the doctor.

Contact the professionals!

The Dr. Keller clinic employs pediatric dentists who can find an approach to your child. They will provide comfortable reception conditions, tell the baby how important it is to take care of oral hygiene, and will be able to become the child’s true friends who can be trusted. They will prove that you can treat teeth without fear and pain. After all, their task is a healthy smile for every child who comes to the dental office. Dr. Keller makes dental treatment fun. And you need to tell your baby about this. So, if you haven't visited the dentist's office yet, now is the time to make an appointment!

If your tooth hurts

If the baby’s tooth is already sick, then you need to try in every possible way to positively influence him to go to the doctor. Remind yourself of the fairy tale about the evil Caries and the good wizard. Explain to your child that the doctor’s goal is not to offend, but, on the contrary, to help cope with the problem.

Tell him that treating a tooth is not scary. The dentist will select an individual cooling system for the dental tissue, as well as the drilling speed. If necessary, the doctor will numb the pain.

Get your child interested. Tell him that he can choose the filling he likes. You will also be able to get acquainted with the tools that the doctor will use during the procedure.

After treatment, you can give your child some kind of toy for his courage. It would be even better if the doctor did it, saying at the same time that the tooth fairy conveyed it.

Literature

Boyko V.V. Recognizing and overcoming fear at a dental appointment // Institute of Dentistry, 2002. – No. 1, 4. – P. 15-23.
Vinogradova T.F., Snagina N.T. Guide to pediatric dentistry // Medicine, 1995. – pp. 75-83.
Gashimov R.G., Arakelova M.N. Psychological characteristics of children with dental diseases // Dentistry, 1988. – pp. 58-60.
Ivanov G.G., Ivanova M.A. Assessment of the psycho-emotional state of children // Childhood Dentistry and Prevention, 2001. – No. 1. – P. 23-26.
Lepelin A.V., Sutenkov D.Ya., Kazakova L.N. Psycho-emotional stress as the basis of dental phobia and the cause of the development of fear // Pediatric dentistry and prevention, 2004. - No. 3. – P.18-25

Reviews

Dentophobia is a common phenomenon, however, and it can be dealt with. There are many recommendations given above, following which you can help your child overcome his fear and teach him to take care of his teeth and oral cavity every day.

If you have any other tips to offer, please don't hesitate. Write them below in the comments to this article.

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