GETTING YOUR CHILD READY TO VISIT THE DENTIST FOR THE FIRST TIME

Visiting a dentist is a major step in the life of every child when done for the first time. It is quite surprising how they do not forget their first visit to the dentist’s chamber. Though many adults have the fear of seeing a practitioner for their routine checkups, children take it easily if they are explained the importance of having healthy mouth. Parents should remember the word ‘teeth’ to prepare their kid actively for their first dental visit and see everything goes smoothly.
 

• Talk – You should create good impression about the oral care expert in front of your child to help overcome dental phobia. A great way is to talk about the dental practitioner and discuss about their visit to the chamber. Of course, your child is unique and you do not want to hurt their sentiments. It is important to understand your child before taking him/her to an oral care expert. If you force your child for a filling, they will surely lose faith in you. On the other hand, if you prepare them for the most difficult situation, they will not agree to visit the clinic. Make the day normal like other days when you are planning to take your child to a dentist.
   
• Expectations – When preparing for the first dental visit of your kid, you need to handle the expectations. By seeing the practitioner and asking him necessary questions related to your child’s dental health, you will have the confidence that he/she is in good oral condition and plan motivation strategies accordingly.
  
  A first visit to the dentist should be pain free simply counting the kid’s teeth and doing an investigation to check if there are some signs of plague or infection that needs to be treated. The entire process can be completed within two minutes and the first appointment will improve confidence of your child for the next visit. Many practitioners allow children to sit comfortably on the lap of their parent during the process to make things easy.
   
• Encouragement – Parents should encourage their child about the important of maintaining good oral hygiene from home. This will lessen the worries of your baby when they go to dental visit for the first time. Children who have strong and healthy teeth and gums will not have to perform any kind of treatment at the initial appointment. This will enable them to have pain free experience with the practitioner.
   
• Test run – Being a parent, you can take your child for a “test run” before taking him/her for their first dental check up. It is important that your kid gets used to visit the dentist’s chamber without any kind of fear and discomfort. See how your kid reacts at the clinic and continue them with “test runs” to make them feel comfortable and relaxed for routine checkups.
  
  It is advised that you do not take your baby to your own dentist, rather look for the one who takes care of the needs of children’s dentistry. These oral care experts know how to deal with children, explain about different kinds of dental treatments in the friendliest manner. This will not only make your child’s trip to the expert’s chamber exciting but also memorable. Your child will surely love to see the dentist again for their regular checkups and proper cleanings.
   
• Habits – It is important to take a note of the oral care habits of your baby and tell them to the dentist when visiting him for the first time. If your kid has the habit of engaging in certain habits like thumb sucking, chomping down on the bottle or sucking pacifier, this may make lead to crooked teeth and cause problems at the first appointment with the practitioner. Make sure your kid does not sleep with a bottle in their mouth as this may lead to bacteria and germs in the oral cavities.

You should try your best to kick these habits of your child as soon as possible. When seeing an oral care expert at the Wimbledon dental practice, be honest with him and tell about all the oral habits of your kid. The more the practitioner will know about him, the better it will be for him to take good care of your baby.