When you’re preparing your child for his/her first dental visit, there are things that you need to keep in mind. A good idea would be introducing the child to the dental clinic’s staff and the dentist first and letting him know how friendly these people are. But if your child is having trouble with developing a comfortable feeling at the dentist’s office, talk to your dentist about rescheduling a couple of short visits so that the child develops a sense of trust.
One of the biggest mistakes that most parents make is that they attempt to explain the process to the child, which tends to worsen the situation. You shouldn’t be using phrases like “Be brave!” or “It won’t be that painful.” Remember, it’s a dental visit, not some battle field that your child has to fight in. Make sure that your child gets an idea that dental visits are normal and a fun experience.
Dental appointments typically last for half an hour, depending on the nature of the examination. The main goal behind the dental checkup is to observe any underlying oral health problems and develop a treatment strategy before it’s too late to fix those dental issues.