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Nobody looks forward to a dental appointment as the highlight of their week, and children are no exception. in fact, for many children a visit the dentist may as well be a trip to the electric chair. Try to assuage your children’s anxieties about visiting the dentist by following these tips to keep them calm during dental visits.
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Keep Sugar to a Minimum
Children benefit from a low-sugar diet in many ways, not least of which is keeping them from developing dental problems in the first place. Aside from this and other factors, minimizing your children’s sugar intake, especially on the day of visits to the dentist, will help to keep them calm. Eating sugary foods gives an explosive burst of energy that can make children hyperactive, fidgety and nervous. Keep them from becoming rambunctious by skipping the candy and sweets. -
Bring Toys Along
Sitting in the dentist’s office, waiting for their names to be called, children have plenty of time to think about what’s coming–this often leads to nervousness and anxiety. The anticipation of an event is most times more stressful than the event itself. Providing the kids with something to occupy them during the waiting period will help to keep them calm by taking their minds off of the looming appointment. Bring some of their favorite toys to play with in the waiting room and the time will fly by quicker than usual. -
Read a Favorite Story
Story time is one of the favorite times of many kids because it offers them a chance to get wrapped up in a fictional world–a momentary escape into a fantastical environment of excitement and imagination. At no time is this more beneficial than in the moments leading up to a dental appointment. Bring a few books to the dentist’s office and read some of the children’s favorite stories while you wait. They’ll be distracted from their fear of the dentist and they whole ordeal will be over before they know it. -
Find the Right Dentist
Often the problem with children becoming anxious about visits to the dentist is not a problem with the children and their moods, but a problem with the dentist himself. Some dentists are more heavy-handed or unwelcoming than others, and an unfriendly demeanor can be more than enough to put children on edge during visits. Your local Anchorage dentist may not be the best choice for the kids. Find a dentist who specializes in working with children and dental appointments could become an enjoyable excursion, rather than a dreaded experiences. -
Bring the Kids to Your Dental Appointments
One of the biggest concerns for children going to the dentist is the sense of uncertainty about what is about to happen. Allowing the kids to tag along on your dental appointments gives them a chance to see what the dentists do, how they work, and how easy the experience can be. Children’s parents are their biggest role models, so seeing the way you react to the dentist will help them get through it themselves.