Dental fear in children: what can I do?
Many do not want to believe it, but a child belongs to the dentist practically from the first broken tooth, because dental care is important already from the first deciduous tooth. The earlier a child goes to the dentist and teeth and teeth are controlled, the better preventive measures take effect. Even with a deciduous dentition, prevention is better than cure. And also with regard to possible malocclusions, the sooner they are recognized, the easier they can be remedied in many cases.
Prevent early on against dental fear
Another big advantage: if children go to check very early, they usually develop no dental fear. If possible, these check-ups should be child-friendly and playful in order to slowly introduce the little ones to this rather unfamiliar situation. So the child experiences the visit to the dentist as positive right from the start.
Dental Care: That’s how you should start
At about 18 months, it’s time for the first toothbrush. Brush your child’s teeth once a day, preferably at bedtime. It is sufficient to first moisten the toothbrush with warm water. If your child is two years old, you can use children’s toothpaste. However, this should not invite you to swallow it due to its overly fruity sweet taste.
Like the parents so the child …
Often the fear of the dentist is transferred from the parents to the children, because children often learn by example. If the parents regularly go to the dentist and consider this visit as easy, in principle, no major difficulties should be expected if the child is to be examined by the dentist.
Children, who take the walk to the dentist as a matter of course, usually maintain their teeth thoroughly for life. In addition, they also tend to stick to dentist appointments every six months. They rarely think about avoidance behavior, because they experience from parents that treatment is better than having pain.
When the fear is particularly great
Sometimes, however, the built-up fear is based on an actual pain event. This can lead to a severe phobia, even in childhood, depending on the course of the corresponding practice visit.
My child is afraid of the dentist – what can I do?
Therefore, depending on the severity of the dental fear you have, it may be helpful to first schedule a session without treatment. Here, the affected child experiences the treatment room completely informal. In the second step, an examination, again without immediate treatment, can strengthen confidence. By the third session, anxiety has in many cases already turned into curiosity. If this is not the case, then you should definitely give your child time and not try to act with “on-it-on methods”, because that only aggravates fears.
Therapeutic options in children with dental fear
hypnosis
Hypnosis is an effective way to relieve deep-seated blockages in both adults and children. During the treatment at the dentist also musical Nebeneindrücke can be very helpful, for example by the small patient directly on the treatment chair listening to music from his MP3 player.
Design of the treatment room
Especially in a special dental practice for children, the device stands out clearly from that of “normal” dental surgeries. The practice rooms, for example, are equipped with exciting pictures that can serve as a good distraction maneuver. This can be very helpful, because children still have a strong talent, intellectually fast to switch between different worlds.
Also regarding the equipment there are special eye-catchers for children. For example, there are color-coordinated and disposable items for children, such as drinking cups, toothbrushes and mouthguards, which can additionally serve as a distraction.
To appeal to all senses
Since most of the everyday life of children takes place in fantasy worlds, children are very experienced in dealing with trance states. It is important to engage the child in all five senses so intensively that practically no more attention remains for the events in the mouth. For example, the dentist has the option of playing with hand puppets. The child gets two differently colored hand puppets. On the right, for example, it slips into a brown bear, which reflects what the child emotionally feels. On the left hand, for example, sits the white bear, which provides comfort and coping possibilities. The dentist must comment here continuously what happens.
Before the first visit to the dentist – tips and tricks
Normally, the first visits to the dentist only require examinations and no treatments, so your child can trust the dentist right from the start. Here are some tips to help your child:
- Take your child with you for your own dental visit. In this way it can get to know the practice before.
- Communicate a positive attitude and trust in the subject of dentistry. Do not console yourself preventively, but rather talk honestly about the visit to the dentist. Do not forget the cuddly toy when you visit the dentist!
- Take care of the half-yearly check-ups. Not only do they provide control, they also allow a series of visits to the doctor where your child does not “pass” anything but a scrutinizing look in the mouth.
- Explain everything child-friendly.
- Do not put pressure on your child and do not blame him.
- Support the contact between your child and the dentist. Let your child answer for yourself.
- Praise or reward your child if they are good at it. But beware: something sweet as a reward for a well-mastered dental visit may not be the right one in this case.
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