By Ashley Pagenkopf, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist at Cook Children’s
Going to the dentist and taking your kids to the dentist can bring up a lot of emotions and probably some anxiety for many of us. One of mine mine traumatic memories as a child of a dentist appointment. I was scheduled to have several teeth pulled for orthodontic reasons and long story short, I refused to let the dentist touch me. My mum called my dad from the dentist’s office to convince me to do it and then they both decided after total denial that it would be better if I went to one pediatric dentist where there might be more options for me as a child. That was in the 1990s, and thankfully so things have changed for the better in the last thirty years. However, the fears we experienced we ourselves as a child can greatly influence how we approach the dentist with our own children. I often tell people that my dental experiences may be the reason I became a child life specialist.
While there may be fears and hesitations, oral health among children is incredibly important. The CDC states, “On average, 34 million school hours are lost each year to unplanned (emergency) dental care, and over $45 billion in US productivity is lost each year to untreated dental disease.” They also state that “By the age of 8, over half of children (52%) had cavities in their primary (baby) teeth.” In our area, Cook Children’s Community Health Needs Assessment found:
- 1 in 4 children in our 8-county service area does NOT have excellent or very good oral health.
- 1 in 7 children (ages 1-17) in our 8-county service area did not receive all the dental care they needed.
This month is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and we want to help you learn how to prepare and support your children as they visit the dentist. We know this area can be difficult for children and parents to navigate, and we want to give you tools to make you and your child feel more comfortable in the dentist’s chair. Lack of dental care can lead to even more traumatic medical and dental experiences for children. We hope these tools can empower you and your child to not dread their next dental visit. Talking to Betsy Hillyard, CCLS, oral health program coordinator in the Cook Children’s Center for Community Health, shared some top things to remember when preparing for the dentist. As a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), Betsy not only helps and prepares childrenalso educates parents, community partners, and dentists for working with children through dental experiences.
1. Find out what to expect! If it’s your child’s first dentistry visit, make sure you know what your kids will be doing once they’re there. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends for children to see the dentist until their first birthday or as soon as their first tooth comes out. Often between 6 months and 3 years old, children only visit the dentist for a visit around the dentist to count teeth, addressing any early concerns that may arise and educating families about proper oral health. Parents are often invited to participate in these visits. As the time approaches for your child to start getting their teeth cleaned, it is important that they know whether or not you will be with them, what procedures their dentist has (x-rays, cleaning, fluoride, etc.) and what they can do while in the dentist’s chair (watch a movie, listen to music, etc.). Betsy even encourages asking your dentist if you can go and take a tour of the office before the visit. The more information you know about your child’s visit will help you prepare your child more effectively the most positive experience.
2. Prepare your child. It is so important for your children and you to know what to expect before going to the dentist so that you can use this information to prepare your child for their particular appointment. There are many tools available to help you prepare them and give you the right language for the child. You can read books about the dentist, play dentist with some stuffed animals or dolls, practice the large opening, and watch some videos to help them get an idea of what to expect. Betsy created one video to help children know what to expect when they go to the dentist. Seeing the tools that will be used and the process is very helpful for your child. Betsy recommendsds have your child draw what they expect from their visit before they go, and then ask them to draw another picture of their experience after their appointment.
- A note for children with sensory needs: If your child struggles with certain noises or other sensations, it’s important to work with your dentist to discuss possible comfort items and adjustments that are available to help your child. Having a conversation or a date before discussing it can be very helpful. Heavy or warm blankets, headphones and sunglasses can often be provided to help your child. Also, if your child has a specific comfort item, plan to bring it with you as you would to a doctor’s appointment.
3. Keep it positive. It can be difficult for some adults to be positive theirs their own dental appointments and experiences. However, children pick up on our fears and anxieties and often pick up on your feelings before they have their own experience. So, when preparing your child for the dentist, be careful and deliberate with your words. When discussing the dentist and dental hygiene with your children, be careful not to use the dentist as a threat or harm that they will experience. Be sure to remind your children that dental appointments are necessary and beneficial to our health and that dentists help keep our mouths and teeth healthy. If you have your own fears about the dentist, make sure you don’t project those fears onto your children. While validating their nerves and addressing their fears is encouraged, it is important not to see the visit to the dentist as a negative part or a punishment. Use encouraging language with your children when discussing their dates and be sure to praise your children when they do a good job on their dates.
When you know what to expect, take the time to prepare your children for their visit, and stay positive, the dentist can be a great experience for yours children. Preventative dental care and oral health is so important to our children’s overall health and development. The more we can do to prevent unplanned and emergency dental care, the more we support our children’s health care experiences and emotional safety. Fortunately my children have a much more developmentally appropriate and positive experience at their dental appointments than I did as a child. We want to continue to support our children to make good health choices, including their oral health.
