Preparing For Your Visit

Before:

Please DO. . .

Remember that dental care is something you want for your family. We don’t have to go to the dentist; we get to go to the dentist! Just like you would go to the doctor to keep your body healthy and strong, the dentist helps keep your teeth healthy and strong.
Help your child to understand what to expect from a dental visit by reading an age-appropriate storybook about a dental visit, role-playing at home, or watching a cartoon. Sesame Street has great kid-friendly videos on YouTube.
Keep your feelings low-key and treat the dental visit as routine. What we accept as normal, our children will accept as well.
Answer your child’s questions honestly, but not too specifically. Too many details can create confusion and anxiety.

Please DO NOT . . .

Communicate your own fears about the dentist to your child.
Use dental visits as a threat when your child misbehaves.
Expect perfect behavior.
Promise to stay with your child during the entire appointment
Most children cooperate better without a parent present.
Make the dentist a villain.
Joke about pulling teeth.

If your child is struggling

Please DO engage your child in positive conversation such as:

Redirecting attention to something pleasant, like what movie you’ll watch when you get home, where you’ll stop for lunch after the appointment, etc.
Telling your child what is special about him/her.
Talking about pets, siblings, toys, etc.
Reciting a favorite story or song

Please DO try some of these child-friendly coping strategies:

“Use your deep breathing now “ Guide your child with slow, deep breaths.
“Pretend you are superman and squeeze my hand” or any other character that your child admires.
“Draw me a picture on my hand with your finger”

Please DO NOT use distressing phrases such as:

“Are you okay?”
“Does that hurt?”
"It's almost over."
“I don’t like being at the dentist either.”
“You’re just like me, I had bad teeth too.”
“This reminds me of when I had 6 teeth yanked out.”
"I'm sorry you had to do that."

Have specific concerns about your child’s appointment? Need more help preparing your child for their appointment? Call 214-484-3199 and a member of our team would be glad to help you.