Preparing For Your Child's First Dental Visit

A child's first trip to the dentist is always a big step for both child and parent. However, this step needn't be a scary one for your child as there are many things that you can do to make it as pleasant and positive an experience for them as possible.

First off, it is important to set the precedent that the dentist office is a fun and safe place to go. One very effective way of achieving this is to take your child along to one of your own dental visits first (a simple cleaning might be better than, say, a root canal...), before it is time for him or her to have their own appointment. By showing your child that you are not afraid of the dentist, and letting him or her become acclimated to the environment of the office early on, your child will be more relaxed when it comes his or her turn to meet the dentist for the first time.

Scheduling is another important factor when it comes to making this maiden voyage go as smooth as possible. More than likely, the best time for your child's first appointment will be in the morning, when he or she is well rested and has already had breakfast, and is thus less likely to feel tired and cranky.

However, more important than anything else is how you plan on explaining to your child what a trip to the dentist means in the first place. For this maneuver, there are many different approaches that one can use. One might be that the child is going on a "field trip" to the dentist's office. Another might be swapping the word "appointment" with "adventure". You probably want to avoid using words like "examination" or even "cleaning" (we all know how some kids hate taking baths!). Emphasize how nice and kind that the dentist you're going to is, and maybe even say that the dentist chair moves up and down like a carnival ride. No matter what, it is important that you instill in your child early on the idea that going to the dentist is a good thing to do, and that it might even be fun! For this first visit it is important to save the more serious stuff for later; after you get them through that first visit you can then move on to explaining that going to the dentist makes it so that you are protecting your teeth from "getting sick".

The final tip we have for making your child's first dental examination as pleasant as possible can be summed up in one simple word: distraction. The old standby of prizes waiting at the end of the dental tunnel for your child is of definite importance, so make sure the office you go to provides this for the young ones (and if not, bring some yourself). However, why not get your child something new to distract them while on the way to the appointment? This may seem at first like "spoiling" them, but, after all, "a spoon full of sugar does make the medicine go down." Thus, if your child has a new toy in his or her hand upon entering the dentist office, there is a good chance that this will remain in the forefront of their consciousness most of the way toward climbing up into the chair.

So, parents be brave! With a little forethought and creativity, you can turn your child's first dental appointment into a positive, fun experience, and create a solid foundation for your child to establish a healthy attitude about taking care of their teeth as well.

Cure Your Odontophobia Today!

Nervous about your next trip to the dentist? Keep cool in the dental chair during your next visit by heeding the following advice:

1. Find a Dentist you are Comfortable with.

Now, if you are one of those people that have developed a fear of the dentist (officially known as "odontophobia"), you definitely need to have a dentist that you are comfortable with in the first place. Your dentist should have a good bedside manor and make you at ease as much as possible, and if you fear the dentist more than most, you should communicate with them about this issue. Alternatively, if you do not like your dentist's style and way of treating patients, then find another dentist! I know that this may seem obvious, but you would be surprised by how many people don't take matters into their own hands when it comes to this.

2. This Ain't the Wild West!

An additional fact to keep in mind is that much of our fear of the dentist probably springs from the past, from times before the existence of the high-tech, vastly more advanced methods for dental procedures and of pain relief that thankfully exist today. Relax, we've come a long way from Doc Holiday with his nasty pliers and only his bottle of Jack Daniels to help you get through the dental experience! You can take comfort in the fact that dentists use the latest technology to make dental work as safe and as efficient for the patient as possible.

3. The Power of Positive Thinking.

Finally, an important aspect of overcoming fear of the dentist is the power of realistic, positive thinking. After all: you are actually going to the dentist to AVOID pain, because if dental problems go undiagnosed and untreated, the person afflicted will almost certainly suffer as a result. The dentist is there to fix your teeth so that they are pain-free, as well as to make them more beautiful to both the world and, most importantly, to you. In fact, skipping dental appointments is what should scare us!

-DC

The Many Different Types of Dentists

If you tell someone that you are a medical doctor, chances are they will respond to you by asking, "what type of doctor are you?" But, if you were to say that you are a dentist instead (I would only recommend that you do this if you actually are a dentist!), chances are they would probably not inquire as to what area of dentistry that you practice. The simple fact is, most people wrongly assume that all dentists are general dentists. However, besides being accredited as a general dentist, there are a plethora of other areas that dentists often go on to specialize in. Therefore, I would like to shed a little light on some of the many different types of dentists and the areas they specialize in.

Pediatric dentists specialize in caring for children. These dentists are experts at putting young patients at ease. That first trip to the dentist can sometimes be a nerve-wracking experience for a young child, and these folks are studied experts at dealing with these sorts of situations. In addition to their training at dealing with children, pediatric dentists also have special training for dealing with those folks with extreme phobias of the dental chair, as well as those with mental or physical disabilities.

Another dental specialist that many have heard of, and been treated by, is the orthodontist. As you probably know, these are the professionals that deal with the misalignment issues of the teeth and jaws. If you had braces as a child, it was the orthodontist who applied them. However, orthodontists perform more than just the cosmetic task of making a smile better to look at. For example, orthodontists treat misaligned teeth, which can effect a patient's ability to perform such common everyday tasks as eating and talking. Also, sleep apnea, a dangerous and quite common condition in which one temporarily pauses breathing during sleep, can also be the purview of the orthodontist.

Speaking of surgery, the specialists when it comes to dental surgery of all kinds are called oral and maxillofacial surgeons. These folks are responsible for using surgery to treat a wide variety of problems concerning the areas of the teeth and jaw. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (maxillofacial, by the way, means the upper-jaw and face) specialize in everything from difficult tooth extractions to treating TMJ.

Endodontists, with the "endo" being Greek for "inside" and the "dontist" part meaning teeth (don't worry, there will not be a quiz after this blog post!), are dental experts who have special skills when it comes to dealing with the insides of teeth. If you have a problem with the interior of a tooth, these dentists are the specialists who can get to the "root" of the problem (couldn't resist that pun).

And there are many more types of dentists including:

Periodontists: Experts when it comes to your gums.
Oral Pathologists: Dentists who deal with diseases of the mouth.
Prosthodontists: Dentists who specialize in creating replacement teeth such as dentures and bridgework.

I could go on and on, but I think that you get my point. Being a dentist does not necessarily mean being a general dentist. So perhaps the next time you are meet a dentist, you can now proudly ask him or her, "what do you specialize in?"

National Dentist Appreciation Day

There are two professions that I feel get a bad rap in our society: dentists and lawyers. Since this is not a law blog, but one concerned with matters of dentistry, I will of course be lauding one of the great unsung heroes of our society: the dentist.

First off, just imagine going to work every day and having to stare into other people's mouths? I've often thought of this self-consciously while sitting in the dentist's chair. Obviously some people's mouths are going to be a prettier sight than others, but REALLY think about it...

See what I mean? To the dentist this is nothing but another pleasant day at the office, but there has to be a breaking-in period, right? I won't even get into the bad breath angle of this thing...yikes...trying to keep everything in good taste here, but you get the idea.

The truly unfair element (that I'm sure every dentist is forced to confront at some time in their careers) is the fact that many of their patients often unfortunately feel that they are being somehow forced to go to the dentist against their will, instead of realizing how fortunate they are to be able to have the privilege to be treated by a dentist in the first place. After all, in many parts of the world, people don't have the services of dentists at their disposal at all.

As I see it, the expression "don't shoot the messenger," could not apply more aptly to any other profession more than dentistry. After all, most of the time, dental problems, as opposed to other sorts of health issues, are first discovered by the dentist or dental hygienist themselves as opposed to the patient. Most of us are lucky enough to be able to find out that we might have cavities before they turn into tooth-aches, right? Instead of being happy that the cavity was discovered before it became painful, or that we need something like a root canal, we inadvertently blame the experience of "going to the dentist" as having somehow created the problem. Doesn't seem quite fair to me...

So, I say that we need to have a National Dentist Appreciation Day. Perhaps it should be in December when everyone is gobbling up those Christmas cookies. Or around Halloween, perhaps? Regardless if National Dentist Appreciation Day ever happens or not, next time you go to the dentist, give him or her a smile, and remember that keeping your smile bright is what dentists are really all about.

Guest post written by a fan of the team at the Oakville Place Dental Office.

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