We were all kids once, so we can all relate a bit to that dread we once felt come dentist appointment time. Those are tough times for any child and we know that. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Going to the dentist can be an easy, painless endeavor, provided that you crack the dentist phobia code. A lot of it starts with choosing the right dentist for kids. Franklin Lakes is just one among many locations from which Pediatric Dental Associates operates. We have the experience and expertise to help you crack that code.

The Lead Up

Anyone who’s ever been on a roller coaster knows that the worst part is the beginning, before the ride actually starts, climbing ever so slowly toward that first drop, strapped in with the steps right beside you tempting you to turn back. That’s kind of what going to the dentist is like. There’s a lot of nonsense that can creep into a child’s brain and it can get very elaborate if you let him or her get carried away with his or her thoughts. You can help curb that impulse by working to keep your child calm and focused on something he or she likes. Watch a movie or do an activity that will get your kid focused on the moment and not caught up in the anticipation of what’s to come.

The Scary Looking Tools

By the way, if you do choose to watch a movie, make sure it doesn’t have any evil dentists in it. Pop culture has a tendency to blow things out of proportion. As a result, whenever a kid sees a table full of sharp tools sitting next to a scary looking man with a medical mask, you’d best believe it’s an intimidating first experience. A great way to settle those initial emotions is to eliminate the element of surprise and do away with the threat of the unknown. You can do this by allowing your child to take a tour of the office prior to the actual appointment. Pediatric dentists are trained to communicate with children. We will break down in a non-scary, understandable way what each of our tools does, so that your child will have nothing to worry about by the time we actually put them to use.

The most effective solution

Rewards are currency in the universe of a child. A great way to get your kid to do something he or she is not entirely comfortable with is to take advantage of some of those bribing skills you’ve learned in your old age of parenting. Think ice cream, a trip to the mall, or the movie theatre. Whatever gets your kid buzzing, you should capitalize upon it. But keep in mind that you don’t want to set a precedent. This is just suppose to be as a negotiating mechanism for those first couple appointments when your kid is not yet accustomed to going to the dentist.

It isn’t all that bad. Just try to put yourself in your kid’s shoes and appreciate what’s scaring him or her. Then try to think of what it would take to get your kid to look past that scary unknown place that is the dentist’s office, so that he or she can eventually recognize that it’s just another place and that it’s really completely harmless. Ready to set up an appointment? We offer dentist for kids Franklin Lakes services, but we also operate all throughout the Ridgewood area. Give us a call today at 201-652-7020.