Pediatric Dentists’ Secret to Teaching Oral Hygiene

Pediatric care requires a special touch that not every dentist has the qualifications for.

Children need to feel at ease at the dentist office, and when visiting a dentist for the first time, they likely don’t want to get right to fixing a broken tooth.

Instead, an easy introduction to the dental staff and office helps them to familiarize themselves with the environment, exploring it and seeing that the people there care just as much about them as their family does.

Encouraging Children to Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Children like to learn, though it may not always seem that way. The reason is that they like to learn their way.

Oftentimes this means exploring the world around them and doing whatever they can to interact with what fascinates them at any given moment.

Simply telling a child how to properly brush their teeth may not instill the value or captivate their attention well enough to grasp and adhere to it.

Instead, helping a child learn through play, as in finding a way for them to learn while having fun and enjoying it, is the key to instilling good habits.

When visiting a kid’s dentist in Houston, they need that kind of interactivity to help them learn in a way that engages them.

Showing them how to brush teeth using a model and over-sized toothbrush teaches them a skill but in a way where they may feel like it’s a game.

Show them all the spots to get, encourage them with congratulatory speech when they accomplish a goal, and don’t chastise if they don’t have it quite right.

Making learning fun is one way that pediatric dentists can get children to maintain healthy teeth and gums well into adulthood.

Don’t Play on Fears

If a child needs to visit the dentist for a procedure such as getting a filling, avoid using language that may cause fear, such as “drill” or “cavity.”

Instead, focus on the positives of visiting the dentist. Things like “The dentist will make your tooth stop hurting” and “When you’re done, your teeth will be even stronger!” will go a long way toward boosting their confidence.

Using Familiar Imagery to Relate to the Child

Find some way to relate a procedure to terms the child understands. For example, if a child loves superheroes, a parent could say “The dentist is giving your tooth a suit of armor like Iron Man” instead of telling them that they’re getting a filling.

Or perhaps “A dental crown makes one tooth the king/queen of your other teeth” to use a fantasy reference.

Talking to the child in terms they understand helps them to understand what is happening or what will happen. They can better process the real situation in this manner.

Certainly, as a child gets older, usually into their teens, these methods may no longer be as helpful, but parents can still encourage their child with reminders that the dentist wants to help relieve pain and prevent it from returning.

Reinforce Habits with Repetition

It’s not enough to just teach a child a good habit, even if it is taught in an engaging way.

Repetition is the key to them remembering and following through with it. As a baby, keep up with brushing their teeth for them.

When they are old enough to brush their teeth themselves, do it alongside them. As long as they keep up a constant routine of brushing, flossing, and rinsing, it will ingrain the habit into their minds, and it will become second nature.

Pediatric Dentists in Houston Help Calm Children

There are so many aspects to taking care of a child. Everything from how much and what kind of food they eat, how often they need to see a doctor, what sort of vaccinations they need, and how often they see a dentist are all things that should be considered.

Seeing a dentist as soon as the first tooth comes in will help familiarize a child with a kids dentist in Houston. This early interaction fosters a trust that will last throughout their lifetime.

Beyond building trust, early interactions, especially for mundane checkups, will build a child’s confidence in visiting the dentist, reducing fear.

All children are different and what works for one child may not work for another, but a pediatric dentist has many tools to help children feel calm, safe, and secure while at a kids dentist.

Introduction to Staff

A child’s first visit to the dentist should be a pleasant experience; no drills, needles, or other unpleasantness. Instead, children should meet the dental staff.

By meeting the dental staff, it will imprint friendly faces on the child’s mind, allowing them to feel more comfortable. Of course, you are welcome to accompany them every step of the way (not that they’d go wandering off on their own if only their first tooth is coming in).

If a child is a bit older and is either coming to the dentist for the first time, or perhaps the first time in a new location, this meet and greet interaction helps reinforce the friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

At most, the only procedures to be done (unless it’s an emergency visit) would be a gentle cleaning and visual examination and x-ray.

By only partaking in non-invasive checkups and cleaning, a child’s fear of the dentist will greatly diminish.

Removing Fear with Sedation Dentistry

Since every child is different, has their own personality, likes and dislikes, and personal preferences, it’s not guaranteed that a visit to the dentist and an introduction to the staff will be enough to allay their fear or eliminate fidgeting.

For these kinds of situations, pediatric dentists in Houston rely on sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry is perfectly safe for both children and adults, but there are much stricter guidelines for use with children.

Through the use of nitrous oxide or IV sedation, the dentist is able to calm a child and completely eliminate their fear.

This can work for just about any situation, from applying dental sealants to performing a filling or root canal.

More often than not, nitrous oxide will be used for sedation as it allows the patient to remain completely awake, but in a much more calm, relaxed state.

By keeping the patient awake and conscious, the dentist is able to give them instructions during a cleaning or procedure. But their relaxed state also allows the dentist to complete a lot more work in a shorter amount of time, especially for anxious children.

Whenever sedation dentistry is used by a kids dentist in Houston, the amount of sedation is continually monitored and adjusted to keep the perfect balance of consciousness and calming relaxation.