If, when teaching your children to brush their teeth and maintain the dental hygiene, you used the story of "tiny crackers" living on poorly brushed teeth and nibbling the tooth deposits, instead of scaring them with the visit to the dentist, now you can say the children that the time has come for the dentist to look at their teeth with his instruments and check the damage caused by the 'crackers'.

In the dentist's office children behave in different ways. Some are completely calm, but in most cases they look around shyly and stick timidly to their parents. It is rather difficult to establish communication with a child in the dentist's office. They answer the questions unwillingly, shout often and refuse to open the mouth. The dentist should gain the child's trust to such an extent that parents may freely stay outside the dentist's office. When the parents are not present, the child is completely focused on the dentist. Since the child is expected to visit the dentist by itself one day, one had better get the child used to it from the very beginning.

In building the trust the dentist may apply two approaches. Under the first approach he gently explains the child everything of interest to him and through a play gets it acquainted with dental instruments and devices, using names appropriate for children (e.g. a drill machine – a bee, a dental probe – a stick).

Through the conversation with parents the dentist learns details about the child, which toys it likes, what its interests are, does it have a brother or a sister, etc.) and uses them later in communication with the child. Under this approach the dentist has a markedly friendly attitude towards the child. If the child gets too deeply absorbed in the game, if it becomes restless or starts stamping the feet, the dentist must apply the second authoritative approach and make it known to the child (in a deep and sharp voice) that it must keep still. The establishment of a good quality relationship with the child is time-consuming and requires patience.

When meeting the dentist for the first time the child should know who that man in the white overall is, what he is going to do with the teeth and why (cure the damage caused by 'crackers'), so as to build up the trust. However, it is most important that you play with your child at home, pretending to be the dentist and checking the child's teeth with a small mirror, teaching the child to keep the mouth open, to rinse the mouth, etc. Try to prepare the child in advance for various sounds to be heard in the dentist's office.

Do not wait too long with the first examination of your child's teeth. First visits to the dentist need not include detailed examinations or any interventions in the teeth whatsoever. After the age of 1 already you can start making your child familiar with the dentist's office, the dentist and the staff. Unless you teach the child that dentists are "bad guys" that one goes to as a punishment, its reluctance to going to the dentist will be much weaker, if at all

With some effort on both sides the child can usually be tricked into the intentions of the dentist, but sometimes it is impossible to avoid some pain or discomfort. It is precisely because of this pain or fear of the pain that children are afraid of the dentists. In Valdent Dental Studio we use a special device – HEALOZONE – for a pain free examination and treatment of teeth. This device has helped change completely the attitude of children towards dentists, because the treatment with HEALOZONE EXCLUDES ALL THE PAIN..

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