Secrets to a Great Checkup: Part One

Prevention and early detection can help avoid pain, trouble eating, difficulty speaking, and school absences for your child. Here are some great tips to a successful dentist visit in the first of this month’s series:

Plan Ahead
There are certain times of the year that are extra busy for dentists, so it’s important to plan ahead. August is often a hectic time because school is starting, so planning a head is the best. Make it a habit to call when your child gets their spring report card each year.

Encourage Age-Appropriate Dental Habits at Home
For children ages six and under, your child might want to do all the brushing themselves, but they don’t have the fine motor skills to do a thorough job just yet. Let them start, and jump in as needed. From ages seven to twelve, your child knows what to do, but might not want to. Keep encouraging healthy brushing and flossing habits. From twelve to eighteen, this is a critical time for dental health, so don’t let your teen’s habits become out of sight, out of mind. Support and respect are important, because they’re not kids anymore.

Timing is Everything
The time of day can make or break your child’s appointment. Don’t schedule an appointment during regular naptime, and if your child is cranky after waking up, take that into consideration as well. Also, for older children, avoid cramming in a dentist appointment right after day camp or school. Not all kids have the energy to do that.

A Hungry Child Is Not a Happy Patient
Feed your child a light meal before the appointment. Hungry people are grouchy people. It’s also generally a good idea not to feed them in the waiting room before you see the dentist because there’s all that food in their mouth. Eating light is also better for a child with a healthy gag reflex. Bonus points if your child brushes before an appointment. It’s very polite!

Keep an eye out for the second blog in our series; you’ll be a visitation pro before your child can say “cheese!”