Kid-Friendly Dentist: Start Your Child Out Right

A kid-friendly dentist is the way to go if you want your child to grow up with a good attitude about dentists. Many of us have a visceral fear of dentists, but we were not born with it. That fear comes from the negative experiences, sights and smells that we associate with the dentist’s offices.

The urge to stay away from the dentist’s office makes many people put off a dentist’s appointment until a toothache becomes unbearable. But, we can make sure our kids grow up without that phobia. We simply need to find a dental practice that is kid-friendly.

How a kid-friendly dental practice looks and feels

A kid-friendly dentist knows that children need to feel happy and safe, even during a dental appointment. They will make their offices warm and welcoming, probably with a play area in the waiting room.

Most kid-friendly dentists have the training and experience needed to handle children with all kinds of dispositions.

They gently wrangle the feisty children and calm the nervous ones. They also make sure that the room with the dental chair is as ‘non-threatening’ as possible. This results in positive experiences for a child.

When they grow up, the child will likely not be the kind of person that gets nervous when the word 'dentist' is mentioned.

More upsides of a child-friendly dentist

Kid-friendly dental practices often, if not always, have pediatric dentists on staff. A pediatric dentist is precisely the kind of dentist a child needs, for the following reasons:

1. They know how to deal with very young children

Like adults, each child has their own unique personality. Some act like little grownups; some are naturally nervous while others have spirited personalities. A kid-friendly dentist will quickly assess the child and use their training to get the child through whatever dental procedure they need.

They will comfort anxious children and calm the ones that cannot hold still. All while maintaining a relaxed and cheerful vibe. The child will walk out of the dentist’s office with fixed teeth and no tears.

2. They will teach good oral habits in a way that sticks

The responsibility of keeping the teeth healthy lies with the owner of the teeth. This fact holds, even for a four-year-old. A kid-friendly dentist will teach good oral habits in a way a child will understand and act on. They will adjust their ‘lessons’ to match the developmental stage of the child.

The kid will take these lessons with them throughout their life. They will form good habits that will remain with them in adulthood and old age. The dentist will also guide the kid’s parents on how to enforce good oral habits at home.

3. They will catch and stop bad habits before they cause lasting damage

A kid-friendly dentist is also trained to help children drop bad habits like thumb sucking. They will advise both the child and the parent on how to tackle the habit gradually but permanently.

4. They will monitor the growth and development of a child

A kid-friendly dentist keeps tabs on the health of their patients’ teeth and jaws. They make sure that the teeth are growing the way they should and make corrections if something goes wrong.

5. They will catch dental problems in their early stages, or prevent them before they happen

Regular visits to a kid-friendly dentist will allow the said dentist to treat early tooth decay and in some cases, reverse it. The dentist will take a proactive approach and may recommend dental sealant for the child’s molars.

The dentist will also detect a bad bite when the child is still young. This will allow for timely orthodontic treatment.

Find a dentist that your child will like

You can make your trips to the dentist easy, both for you and your child, by finding a kind and skilled kid-friendly dentist. And we have one, right here at our practice. 

Request an appointment here: https://www.gatewaydental.org or call Gateway Dental Dr. William Swann DDS at (301) 485-7492 for an appointment in our Bowie office.

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