Preparing Them for Their First Dentist Trip
A lot of us fear dentists, but chatting with our friendly dentists in Parramatta will soon put you at ease. Modern dental techniques like laser dentistry make your treatments virtually painless. Healing time is faster too, so the after-effects of your dental appointment are lessened.
So now that you know it won’t hurt – at least not as much as you think – let’s look into other reasons why you might avoid the dentist, and how we can assuage your worries. Ideally, you should visit a dentist twice a year, and a child should have their first dental visit by age 2.
But for many of us, our first experience with dental didn’t come until braces in our teens, or wisdom teeth in our adult years. So because the first ever interaction with a dentist – for the majority of adults – was for extractions and impactions, the public perception of dentists is low. You can prepare your child / teen / adult by telling them what to expect.
First dental visit for kids
On average, a baby’s first tooth erupts around six months, so dentists would like a first look at your child’s teeth when they’re around a year old. A better gauge is six months after their first tooth appears. At this stage, the dentist will:
- Check for growth and development of teeth, bite, jaws, soft tissues, and gums
- When they get a bit older, they might do an optional professional cleaning to get rid of tartar, plaque, or stains
- Teach the child to brush and floss, if they’re old enough to learn
- If the child is too small, teach their parents / guardians how to help the baby brush
Before baby’s first visit, let them tag along on your own dental appointment and watch, so they know it’s nothing to be scared of. Make it a special day out, including a dentist-friendly treat afterwards. This makes the child eager to see their dentist. During the visit, have the dentist check your own teeth before they work on your child.
First dental visit for adults
Adults will receive the same inspection and cleaning during their routine visits, but if they haven’t seen a dentist before, there are likely more tooth problems to resolve. Especially because their fear kept them away, so they didn’t call the clinic until the pain was unbearable. Even then, you can calm their nerves by explaining how modern dental pain-relief works.
Have them speak to the dentist on the phone before the visit. Dental clinic staff are trained to soothe nervous patients, both on the phone and in the lobby. And be sure to set aside enough time for the visit, it may take longer than planned. Arrive half an hour earlier, to give them time to talk to a clinical staffer that can calm them further.
For more guidance and preparation, call the team at Dental Avenue Parramatta today on 1300 315 540.
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