Is my kid scared of the dentist?

Many children may be nervous about going to the dentist. This isn’t uncommon and could be phase they are going through where they are nervous about new experiences. Other children are especially nervous in medical or dental settings.

Kids may have had bad experiences in a healthcare setting in the past, seen a relative have a difficult time with their health, or even heard other people talking about being scared of the dentist or having bad experiences.

Some kids may have been threatened with having ‘bad teeth’ and ‘needing fillings’ by a well-meaning relative trying to encourage healthy habits or diet.

I have even had parents who say the words ‘don’t worry she won’t hurt you’ when kids meet me for the very first time, even though up until that point the kids weren’t even scared!

The best cure for this is find a kid friendly dentist who gets to know your child and the rest of your family. Its good to take your child to the dentist from the age of 2 or even earlier to make the experience as normal as possible and help your kid feel comfortable. The dentist will be able to give you loads of advice on your kids diet and tooth cleaning to make them less likely to get trouble with their teeth and hopefully your child will need less work done to their teeth as a result.

You can find a child-friendly dentist by asking other parents. Some dentists operate outreach programmes in schools and nurseries, and these dental teams are more likely to be helpful to you. Remember if your kid doesn’t get on with one dentist in a dental practice, they may find one of the others easier to relate to.

The basic principles of kids dental health are

• Set up good habits from the beginning with tooth brushing morning and evening, with parents helping until the kid can tie their own shoelaces.

• Reduce how often your kid eats sugar (all types including fruits and drinks) as more often = more cavities

• Any toothpaste is better than none! If your kid hates the flavour of the family toothpaste find one they like. The fluoride in toothpaste makes the tooth enamel stronger and helps resist decay

• Keep them drinking water as long as possible before introducing juices and other soft drinks

• Set a good example yourself about healthy snacks and toothbrushing.