Taking your little ones to the dentist can be a traumatic experience. But you don’t have to drag them, kicking and screaming, to get their teeth cleaned. In fact, your family dentist should be someone who’s great with kids! After all, your whole family will sit in their chair, right?
If your dentist knows a lot about working with kids, he’ll likely have some pop-up books or small activities to keep them entertained in the waiting room. Nothing is worse than having to keep kids busy while waiting in the doctor’s office.
When you take your child back to the dental chair, look to see if the doctor has any kind of cartoon posters around the office. Making a kid feel like they’re in their bedroom rather than a dentist’s office will help them relax while getting their teeth checked out.
The most important thing your family dentist can do, however, is listen to your child’s concerns. If your child has questions, the dentist should be open to answering them and providing information on good dental hygiene. If your dentist doesn’t field questions from younger patients, it might be a warning sign to choose a new doctor.