You know you need to bring your child to the dentist twice a year, but once they express fear and anxiety about dentist appointments doing so becomes more complicated. You may feel guilty or worried every time you make a dentist appointment for your child, even though you know it's the right thing to do. Luckily, there are specific things you can do to help your child overcome their fear of the dentist before it becomes worse. Here are three tips for helping a child who is scared of the dentist:

Opt for a Pediatric Dentist

Pediatric dentists are used to working with children who are fearful or anxious, and dentists who choose to focus on this area of dentistry tend to be very warm, fun, and comforting in demeanor. Most pediatric dentists will take their time to explain everything to your child, eliminating fear of the unknown. Pediatric dentist offices are usually colorful and fun, filled with toys your child can play with before and after their check-up and in some cases cartoons they can watch during their appointment as a distraction.

Build Positive Associations

If you make a point to help your child associate the dentist and dental health with positive experiences, these associations will soon replace the more fearful ones. One idea is to plan a fun outing or visit to their favorite toy shop to pick out a new toy after every dentist appointment. Letting them pick out a toothbrush with their favorite cartoon character, and reading children's books about visiting the dentist are additional ways to begin building positive associations.

Try Role Playing

Role playing is often a great way to help kids see things in a new way, and they tend to respond well to it as a teaching tool since it's fun and playful. Role playing dentist office visits where you take turns being the dentist or dental patient will help normalize dentist appointments for your child and make them seem more fun. You can buy cute dentist office kits for kids at a toy store, and use an armchair as the dentist chair. Be sure to be upbeat and positive while you "check" their teeth and tell them how proud you are of them.

By following these tips, you will help ease your child's fear of the dentist (though Beck Pearce Dental does a great job alleviating any fears all by themselves) and get them set up with healthy dental habits that will last a lifetime.

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