Could your child have dental anxiety? If your child expresses fear about going to the dentist or has a hard time settling down while at a dentist appointment, they might struggle with dental anxiety. Child dental anxiety is often a result of them being unsure of what’s happening or having a bad previous experience. Our team at Lovett Dental Katy aims to provide ways to reduce these fears in our pediatric dentistry service. If your child struggles with going to the dentist, learn more about several ways that you can help.
Understanding Dental Anxiety
It’s not always understood why child dental anxiety occurs. Sometimes, people simply have irrational fears of something they do not understand, do not know how to cope with, or are unsure how to manage. Our goal in our pediatric dentistry is to provide children with an environment that’s relaxing and even fun. That may help to reduce some of the child dental anxiety they have.
How to Manage Child Dental Anxiety
There are a variety of things you can do to improve dental anxiety. Every child is different. You likely know what may work well for your child, and knowing a few proven ways to help with their fears can help you make the right decision.
1. Don’t Hide It – Talk About It
Child dental anxiety often comes from a place of not understanding. For that reason, you can give your child some relief by simply talking about what a dentist does. We recommend talking about:
- Good oral hygiene
- The importance of visiting a dentist
- How a dentist can help with tooth pain
- The value of clean, healthy teeth
- How a dentist can help ensure their smile is white and clean
Open up the conversation to ensure that your child understands what’s to come.
2. Lead by Example with Your Child
Many adults have dental anxiety as well. The key thing to remember here is that, although anxiety exists, it is not something that should stop us from having healthy teeth and gums. As a parent, make sure your child knows that you are coming in for routine appointments, too. They may even want to know what happened and what you did during your appointment. When possible, share that with them.
3. Teach Them About Dental Exams
Here’s the good news. Your child may see a significant improvement in their dental anxiety if you show them what’s going to happen. Check out some of the videos available for kids that can help them to see what to expect. Let our team also help by talking to your child about what’s going to happen every step of the way through each appointment. That can give them some peace of mind that nothing is going to hurt them.
4. Talk to Your Dentist About Child Dental Anxiety
In some cases, the anxiety a child has is so significant that it is very important to address this in our offices during an appointment. If your child needs a more invasive procedure, it may be best to talk about sedation dentistry. Our team may offer it for some procedures such as:
- Deep dental cleanings
- Tooth extraction procedures
- Periodontal disease treatment
- Root canal procedures
- Fillings and sealants
Even if you are unsure if sedation dentistry is right for your child, let our pediatric dentistry office know what’s happening. That way, we can help you.
Start with a Call to Lovett Dental Katy for an Appointment
Child dental anxiety is hard to handle as a parent. You just want to ensure your child gets the dental care they need. Our pediatric dentistry can help with all aspects of dental anxiety – even if you’re unsure your child has it. All you have to do is to schedule a consultation with our team at Lovett Dental Katy to get things started. You can contact us online or call 832-437-6477 today.
