How to prepare a child for a visit to a dent medical center?

The children’s dentist’s office at the Sirius Dent Medical Center is divided into zones: a place where parents wait, a table with toys, a chair. Accordingly, the first visit, as a rule, is dedicated to getting to know the dentist and tools, a tour of the office, playing with a dental model. Examination in the dental chair takes place only with the consent of the child, and she has the impression that she controls the process herself: she can ask the doctor to wait or continue the manipulations, and he warns when it will be a little uncomfortable. If the child does not want to sit in the chair, the dentist tries to examine him and understand what is bothering the young patient, in the process of communicating at the table with toys. We do everything possible to make dental treatment a regular routine for the child and not cause fear.

When you need to take your child to the dentist

It is best to bring your child to the dentist for the first time when they start teething (6-10 months). In this way, the doctor will be able to make sure that the process is going normally, give the necessary recommendations for oral care or prescribe treatment in the event that the tooth erupts on the gums in the wrong place. If a child undergoes regular preventive examinations at the dentist from an early age, he usually does not have acute conditions, because problems are detected and treated at an early stage. In addition, the baby gets used to the doctor, his office and equipment, and when it is necessary to carry out some manipulations in the mouth, he reacts calmly and positively. Symptoms that require a child to see a dentist:

• white or yellow spots on the child’s teeth – this can be both ordinary dental plaque and a sign of congenital enamel deformation or caries;
• black plaque on a child’s teeth does not necessarily indicate a pathological process, it can also be Priestley plaque. In any case, the diagnosis should be made by a pediatric dentist;
• the baby’s milk teeth are crumbling;
• planar caries – it looks as if the enamel on the milk teeth is coming off. Although in reality it is not so: the enamel is poorly mineralized and affected by the carious process in a continuous layer;
• growth on the gums during teething is a completely normal phenomenon, because the tooth is erupting. raises the gums. The growth will eventually disappear by itself.

In practice, parents often look for a doctor when their child has a toothache or an injury, and everyone is too nervous to calmly prepare the child for a trip to the dentist. The child sees that the parents are worried, he is already in pain, and he is already afraid in advance. There is a problem in communication with such a patient: perhaps the child will not allow the manipulation to be carried out at all this time.

Горова Альона Вікторівна – стоматолог-терапевт, дитячий стоматолог

Why are children afraid of dentists?

Dentists are feared by those children who were unlucky enough to receive a negative experience of treatment, and not necessarily dental treatment. If a child is often sick and has to deal with doctors, all people in white coats terrify him without exception. After that, it is very difficult to convince the little one that everything will go well with the new dentist. A child’s attitude is also strongly influenced by adults’ impressions of unpleasant dental treatment experiences.

What to do if the child had a negative experience at the dentist?

If the child’s first visit to the dentist turned out to be unsuccessful, but there is a new urgent problem with the teeth (for example, an injury to the crown due to a fall), parents should first of all calm down and explain to the child that the doctor will examine the tooth and provide help. It is not necessary to assure that it is not painful and not scary – the child will still not believe it. Similarly, one should not threaten, raise one’s voice or intimidate with consequences: they say, if we do not cure the tooth, it will have to be pulled out with terrible forceps. In general, a doctor for a child should be a person who provides help and relieves pain, and not someone who is threatened with bad behavior. Therefore, just bring the child to the dentist and give the doctor the opportunity to build contact with the child. If the child is still young, the treatment itself will take place under sedation.

Organizational preparation of a child for an appointment with a dentist

If you bring a child of contact age (five to six years) to the dentist for the first time without acute problems, it is enough to simply tell him that the doctor will ask him to open his mouth to examine him, and perhaps brush his teeth. And in general, explaining how to take care of your teeth or showing a cartoon about it is always a good idea. It is important not to say that parents are also afraid, or to share their own negative impressions from the treatment, so that the child does not take this fear on himself.

Is it necessary to psychologically prepare a child for a dental examination?

No one knows a child better than their parents. If you need to persuade a child to go to the dentist by bribery, motivation or other methods of interest in a good way and without threats, then there is nothing wrong with such persuasion. If we are talking about the treatment of the teeth of special children who cannot be prepared psychologically, then we have considerable experience in helping such patients both within the “Monsters Corporation” program and outside of it. For example, if a neurotypical child is afraid of strangers, we will prescribe treatment for a time when there are no patients in the dent medical center, and if he does not want to enter the office, the anesthesiologist will conduct premedication in the corridor and after that the child will be taken to the office, put under full anesthesia and the dentist will begin treatment. At the same time, we strive to solve all problems in the oral cavity in one visit, as much as possible.

What to do if a child cries in the dentist’s office?

Here everything depends on the age of the child: children under three years old are not contact-free, they are always treated by a dentist under anesthesia. If the child is already of a conscious age, the doctor distracts him, does not concentrate attention on the teeth. He can examine the child not in a chair, but at a table with toys, in the process of talking or playing. Even if it didn’t work right away, it’s okay: the child may need one or two visits to get used to the doctor, office and tools, overcome the fear of the dentist and agree to treatment. By the way, a maximum of three doctors are in the dental office at the same time (a dentist, his assistant and, if necessary, an anesthesiologist), so the child will not be afraid of a crowd of strangers.

A child from the age of seven can already be treated under local anesthesia. However, she is not always ready for manipulation right away, she needs to be explained exactly what and how the doctor will do, maybe demonstrate on a dental model or let her hold the tools. Then next time, the child will understand what is expected of him, and the parents will clearly know what to say to him.

How should parents behave in the dental office?

In order for the child to be calmer and more comfortable, someone from the family stays in the doctor’s office. The main rule is that parents do not interfere with the dentist’s work and do not make the child nervous. If the family behaves calmly and does not interfere in the process, everyone gets a chair and can watch. But when relatives comment on something and annoy the child, they will have to wait in the corridor.

What to do after a dental examination?

If during the visit to the dentist, the child was too excited or upset to allow the doctor to examine him, you need to come for a second consultation (it will cost the same as the initial consultation). It will no longer be an unfamiliar place and the doctor, the child will roughly understand what to expect and will allow himself to be treated. The main thing is not to rush and not scold the child. If the examination and treatment were successful, the dentist will give recommendations on the date of the follow-up examination and further actions.