Preparing Your Child for a Filling at the Dentist

With a positive focus on dental visits, children are more likely to breeze through regular cleanings. When a cavity does arise, it can be a smooth process to get it filled when you prepare your child for the experience before you enter the dentist’s office.

Stay Calm and Encouraging

Children feed off of your emotions and can tell if you are feeling stressed. Keep yourself under control and talk to the dentist at your family dentistry Highland Park IL location if you’re feeling nervous so you know what will happen and how the procedure will go. Use positive language to encourage your child and help them relax.

Know Your Options

Some children need nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to help stay still and calm. Talk to the dentist before the appointment so you know if you have the option. If your child can stay still and isn’t nervous about the filling, they may not need it.

Be Honest

If your child is curious about what will happen, be honest without using scary language. There’s no need to use the words drill, needle or pain. Those words will enhance anxiety instead of lessening it. Some dentists call the cavity areas sugar bugs or a sugar spot and you can talk about how they might feel a little pinch. Use kid-friendly language to describe what the visit will be like instead of scaring them with certain terminology.

Share Your Experience

If you’ve had a cavity filled, share your experience with your child. Let them know it’s ok to be nervous, and that you get anxious too when you go to the dentist. Remind them that the majority of people have a cavity and it’s a common procedure they don’t have to be embarrassed about.

Prevent future cavities by ensuring your child has thorough brushing and flossing habits, especially in the hard-to-reach areas by the molars. Stay up to date with routine check-ups to prevent large problems in the future.