Is there any word of caution when it comes to children and the dentist??
Question: I mean more so getting fillings done and so on. My daughter is only 7yr old and I'm afriad to put her through anything that could cause grief later on. I know dental care is very important but if there is any neg. press about certain things I'd like to know.
She's already had a very bad experience with one dentist. When she was 5yrs old the dentist would not allow me to go in the room with her and attempted to remove a fragment of a tooth. He didn't wait for the numbing agent to work and she felt the pain....so she bit him!
Answers: Some offices have strict policies about having parents in the room when children have dental work, sometimes it allows the child to act up more than they would if they were alone. Our office has found the parents are usually an asset and help keep the children more calm by holding a hand, saying a few jokes or reminding them of a funny story and if the staff is kid-orientated they may try to help even before your daughter gets in the chair by putting her at ease. I would ask your dentist before you go for the appointment if they allow you to come into the room.
Numbing agents only work on the top of the tissue they don't numb below the surface and I doubt that previous dentist you had did any more than a topical application of the numbing agent (no injection into the tissue around the fragment). In that case yeah, she would feel the fragment coming out- but chances are, it was a pretty small fragment and he may have thought giving her an injection would cause her more grief than just removing the sliver from the lion's paw. As a mom, don't make it into a bigger issue than it is, she got through it and so did you.
Respectively, your attitude towards the dentist is what will have the biggest bearing on how your daughter reacts to the dentist. If she sees that you trust that dentist and you know he wouldn't do anything to harm your daughter she will trust him eventually too even when it means he has to do something that might cause her a little pain. If you don't trust your dentist find someone you do trust, ask your friends, co-workers who they go to. The best advertisement for a dentist is word-of-mouth and if a patient has nothing but good things to say about their dentist, trust that one.
They have to realize hat life is about and shielding her from hard experiences will only make it wore later.
I would ask around in the city where you live. Ask at her school. There are a lot of dentists now who cater to the pain and fear factor in children and adults. I would NEVER allow my kids to go in alone unless they voiced otherwise themselves AND I felt they were old enough to make that decision. I only allowed that if I had been going to that dentist for a long time. If you find a good dentist for her she should feel comfortable enough not to have a huge fit about going. My own kids don't love going to the dentist but they go as they should for ck-ups. They are now nearly all grown.
Mk has answered this question exceptionally well. Although, I’m not sure if this is a pending appointment or if your child is receiving her needed dental cleaning on a regular basis. If she is, then she shouldn’t have a fear of the dentist, or it should be minimal due to the familiar routine.
Let me add, that your attitude towards dental care and treatment can be a potential problem that can cause harm throughout her life, or it can be a great asset as to how your child reacts to any dental treatment.
What happens now will form how she develops either excellent dental home care skills and continues having further, or any needed treatment, through out her life, or how she will balk and possibly develop poor home care skills along with having a dental phobia or avoiding professional dental treatment when needed, or altogether. It's your choice now and hopefully you will help your daughter through her formative years by helping her form good dental habits with a strong respect and understand of her dentist and the dental care and treatment she receives through professional cleanings and check ups, without having any fear involved.
Keep in mind, anything you say in regard to dental treatment should be positive, and if it can‘t be, then maybe it‘s better not said at all. Even if you know what to expect, sometimes it’s better if you don’t explain since chances are, the procedure isn’t done that way anymore and you don‘t want to instill fear by your experiences.
Most dental teams are trained to work with children and explain procedures to them in such a way so that they understand, know what to expect, which helps to eliminate the possibility of any fear.
I hope I’ve been of some help and that your daughter has an exceptional dental visit this time, and with all the other ones she has through out her life. Good luck!
Additional information: On more than one occasion I've ask a parent to either wait, or go wait in the reception room due to either the child’s behavior, or the parents, so it's not always just a rule that parents aren't allowed back, sometimes it is needed for the child to behave better and for their safety.
She's already had a very bad experience with one dentist. When she was 5yrs old the dentist would not allow me to go in the room with her and attempted to remove a fragment of a tooth. He didn't wait for the numbing agent to work and she felt the pain....so she bit him!
Answers: Some offices have strict policies about having parents in the room when children have dental work, sometimes it allows the child to act up more than they would if they were alone. Our office has found the parents are usually an asset and help keep the children more calm by holding a hand, saying a few jokes or reminding them of a funny story and if the staff is kid-orientated they may try to help even before your daughter gets in the chair by putting her at ease. I would ask your dentist before you go for the appointment if they allow you to come into the room.
Numbing agents only work on the top of the tissue they don't numb below the surface and I doubt that previous dentist you had did any more than a topical application of the numbing agent (no injection into the tissue around the fragment). In that case yeah, she would feel the fragment coming out- but chances are, it was a pretty small fragment and he may have thought giving her an injection would cause her more grief than just removing the sliver from the lion's paw. As a mom, don't make it into a bigger issue than it is, she got through it and so did you.
Respectively, your attitude towards the dentist is what will have the biggest bearing on how your daughter reacts to the dentist. If she sees that you trust that dentist and you know he wouldn't do anything to harm your daughter she will trust him eventually too even when it means he has to do something that might cause her a little pain. If you don't trust your dentist find someone you do trust, ask your friends, co-workers who they go to. The best advertisement for a dentist is word-of-mouth and if a patient has nothing but good things to say about their dentist, trust that one.
They have to realize hat life is about and shielding her from hard experiences will only make it wore later.
I would ask around in the city where you live. Ask at her school. There are a lot of dentists now who cater to the pain and fear factor in children and adults. I would NEVER allow my kids to go in alone unless they voiced otherwise themselves AND I felt they were old enough to make that decision. I only allowed that if I had been going to that dentist for a long time. If you find a good dentist for her she should feel comfortable enough not to have a huge fit about going. My own kids don't love going to the dentist but they go as they should for ck-ups. They are now nearly all grown.
Mk has answered this question exceptionally well. Although, I’m not sure if this is a pending appointment or if your child is receiving her needed dental cleaning on a regular basis. If she is, then she shouldn’t have a fear of the dentist, or it should be minimal due to the familiar routine.
Let me add, that your attitude towards dental care and treatment can be a potential problem that can cause harm throughout her life, or it can be a great asset as to how your child reacts to any dental treatment.
What happens now will form how she develops either excellent dental home care skills and continues having further, or any needed treatment, through out her life, or how she will balk and possibly develop poor home care skills along with having a dental phobia or avoiding professional dental treatment when needed, or altogether. It's your choice now and hopefully you will help your daughter through her formative years by helping her form good dental habits with a strong respect and understand of her dentist and the dental care and treatment she receives through professional cleanings and check ups, without having any fear involved.
Keep in mind, anything you say in regard to dental treatment should be positive, and if it can‘t be, then maybe it‘s better not said at all. Even if you know what to expect, sometimes it’s better if you don’t explain since chances are, the procedure isn’t done that way anymore and you don‘t want to instill fear by your experiences.
Most dental teams are trained to work with children and explain procedures to them in such a way so that they understand, know what to expect, which helps to eliminate the possibility of any fear.
I hope I’ve been of some help and that your daughter has an exceptional dental visit this time, and with all the other ones she has through out her life. Good luck!
Additional information: On more than one occasion I've ask a parent to either wait, or go wait in the reception room due to either the child’s behavior, or the parents, so it's not always just a rule that parents aren't allowed back, sometimes it is needed for the child to behave better and for their safety.
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