Question
As a child, I (f,33) was terrified of going to the dentist every time. What can I do or take precautions so that my son (4) won't have the same experience one day?
Short answer
Parents should definitely try not to transfer their own fear of going to the dentist or unpleasant memories of it to their child. It is important to send positive signals: The dentist looks and helps to ensure that the teeth grow properly, become big and strong and remain healthy.
My dentist is funny, he tells jokes and there's a Superman on his coat, that's cool. Felix (5) recently went to the dentist's office for his first dental check-up. After five minutes it was all over and Felix was proud to have been in the dentist's office even without mommy or daddy.
An exception?
Unfortunately, there are also children who are very scared because they think that a visit to the dentist is a bad thing. They are afraid of lying in the chair and opening their mouths. Why wasn't this the case with Felix?
The friendly atmosphere in the practice and the skill of the dentist and his assistants are very important for a child to find a visit to the dentist "cool". Dentists know a lot of tricks and, at least in Switzerland, have also been trained to playfully show young patients what they do. The "horror experiences" that grandparents or parents may have had are a thing of the past!
But all the dentist's efforts are of little use if the child's expectations from home are already negative.
What parents can do
To a large extent, it is up to the parents to decide how their child feels about the dental practice. They prepare the child for the visit. This is best done in such a way that the visit to the dentist is perceived as something completely normal and everyday, as something that everyone does, like going shopping, for example.
It is okay to explain to the child how the visit to the dentist will go. However, it is important that positive signals are given. Avoid references to fear, pain, drilling or injections. Never say: "It won't hurt!" or "You don't need to be afraid, he certainly won't drill the first time!" This will have the opposite effect: the child will hear that there is a good reason to be afraid.
Never threaten
You should also never threaten the child that they will have to go to the dentist if they don't brush their teeth, or even that he will drill into their teeth. The child will conclude that a visit to the dentist is a punishment, i.e. something bad. Similarly, the promise of a reward often has the opposite effect, as it indirectly implies that there is a "test" to pass.
By telling stories of their own bad experiences, parents provoke a defensive attitude in their child. As parents, try not to transfer your own fear or unpleasant memories to your child. Create a positive image of the visit to the dentist. Tell your child how the treatment helped you and that the dentist looks after and helps teeth to grow properly, become big and strong and stay healthy. For children to be able to go to the dentist in a relaxed manner, the dentist and the parents need to behave correctly. Only with this interaction will fear never arise - neither before nor during the visit to the dentist.
Author: Dr. med. dent. Jürg Eppenberger
Published in: Neue Luzerner Zeitung on December 2, 2013