For many people, children and adults, a trip to the dentist may conjure up anxiety. While very little truth can be found in our fears, we so often irrationally decide that the dentists office is a place to avoid and in doing so only hurt us. Isn’t it ironic how fear keeps us away from something that will actually benefit us? So to avoid the perceived anxiety associated with the dentist, and not only the anxiety, but also the stress if you have kids, you can take some of the following tips outlined below to help make the trip a little easier on your little ones.

The first thing that you can do to make a trip to the dentist a more pleasant experience for you and your children is to simply talk to them about the dentist. Explain that it’s not a scary place and that what they are doing is really good for them. Let them know that it won’t be painful, but rather that if anything a trip to the dentist can be a bit on the sedate side. If you talk through what the dentist does and what they plan to do it should help to take away some of your kid’s fears. Knowledge typically makes experiences easier. It’s lack of knowledge that clouds our minds and makes us fearful at times.

If you have tried reasoning with your child and it has not worked, you should move on to plan number two: positive reinforcement to make the experience a more enjoyable one for your child. Positive reinforcement simply means that you will provide a reward for experiencing something that you may otherwise not want to do. Tell your child that you will take them out for their favorite food or to their favorite place if they are well behaved at the office. Perhaps there is a toy they have had their eye on? If you want to avoid using material goods as a reward, simply choose a favorite place for your child, whether it be a playground or some other place you can enjoy as a family and go there. Using positive reinforcement, your child may very well view a trip to the dentist as an opportunity rather than a possible negative experience. In this way you can help take away your child’s fear and replace it with enthusiasm.

Whether you decide to rationally talk to your child, or if you decide to simply give them positive reinforcement to help them get through their fears, you can do a lot to make a trip to the dentist a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved simply by taking some time to work though the situation. So if your child has a fear of the dentist simply try one of the guides outlined above and hopefully you will soon be on your way to more pain free trips to the dentist, not only for your child but also for you!

Author Bio: A leading dental practice in North Carolina practicing Raleigh Cosmetic Dentistry that is committed to offering high quality dental services and exceptional patient care. Led by a great Raleigh Cosmetic Dentist in NC that offers a wide variety of dental treatments, including expertise in oral care.

Category: Advice
Keywords: dentists office, kids dentist, kids like dentist