Who’s Afraid of the Dentist?

Definitely not these two!

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See those faces beaming with joy? My kids obviously were happy to see their dentist. Considering that it’s their first time in this particular dental clinic, they behaved really well. There was a little bit of anxiety on Jade’s part at first which explains why her little brother was with her on the dental chair. It didn’t take long though for her to feel comfortable. Prophylaxis and fluoride application was a breeze because both kids were very cooperative and followed the dentist’s instructions well.

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Want to know why they’re not afraid of the dentist? Here are a few reasons why I’ve got fearless little tots:

  1. We take them to the dentist annually. The kids’ teeth are all cavity-free but we’ve been taking them to see the dentist since they were a year old. Dental visits usually just involved a quick peek at their teeth and since they don’t have cavities, the visits were enjoyable ones. This is perhaps why they were very comfortable in the dental clinic. Perhaps if they did have cavities we might have to learn more about the procedure they’d need and understand how to keep our teeth healthier! Luckily, we already do this, so it is unlikely we will have bad dental hygiene. Don’t wait for your child to have toothaches or cavities before you take him to the dentist. Ideally, you should take your children to a kids dentist in kansas city or anywhere near your place every six months.
  2. We role-play at home. We love to do pretend play where we get transported to different worlds. One of those worlds is a magical dental clinic where one of us gets to pretend to be the dentist who gives children candies only if they promise to brush their teeth. 🙂 And of course, there’s the “open your mouth wide” routine and the “brush your teeth after meals” reminder.
  3. We take great care of their teeth. Both kids are cavity-free because they both know already how to care for their teeth. Although Jakei loves to eat candies, chocolates, and almost everything sweet, he knows how to brush his teeth well and also remembers to drink water after eating his sweet treats.
  4. Before going to the dentist, we go through what they should expect during the visit. Since this was their first prophylaxis and fluoride application, I told them that the dentist would be cleaning their teeth with a special brush and then she’d be ‘painting’ them with special toothpaste. By telling them what to expect, you lessen their apprehensions and allay their fears.

It did help that Dra. Dimanlig, the pediatric dentist, was very genial. She had this motherly air that the kids immediately warmed up to her. So do also choose a dentist that your kids would not be afraid of. Oh, and please don’t make the dentist the terrible witch who’d pull all their teeth out if they ate too much candy. If you tell your kids this, then don’t be surprised if they absolutely refuse to see the dentist!

Trackbacks

  1. […] First stop was a quick lunch before the kids’ dental appointment.  The kids now go to My Dentist in SM where a pedia dentist is available on weekdays.  It’s also more convenient going there since it’s much closer to our place than PCMC.  Both kids had oral prophylaxis and fluoride application. As always, it was fuss-free and cavity-free. Yup! Both kids have stayed cavity-free up to now.  Want to know how they’ve managed to have healthy gums and teeth?  Click here to read my post from last year. […]