Book Now

Call Us 07 3269 2443

First Dental Visit Coming Up? Read this first!!

First Dental Visit Coming Up? Read this first!!

Preparing your Child for their First Dental Visit If you’re an anxious patient, you may be anxious about your child’s first dental visit. It’s difficult to avoid passing on your phobias to your child – luckily, we’re here to help. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please simply get in touch now. First a few tips about taking your child to the dentist for the first time: · Don’t mention pain. Instead talk about the positive aspects like healthy teeth and gums · Do prepare them for what will happen by reading them stories and discussing the tools a dentist uses. Tell them about the uber cool chair! · Do make a game of opening your mouth very wide and show them how you can see all the way to their back teeth · Encourage your child to look at her teeth and to count them · Do book in for a suitable time in your child’s routine to avoid them being overly tired at the time of the appointment · Book a check-up first. We don’t want to do anything that may be upsetting on their first visit to the dentist! Jack’s First Trip to the Dentist – A Social Story Social stories are “fictional stories” around a child’s experience. They’re recommended by Paediatric Occupational Therapists to help children to understand situations around them in a familiar way. One of our young patients agreed to let us tell his story about his first dental visit. Please use this to prepare your child for what will happen when it’s their turn. This is a story about a boy named Jack. Jack was excited to be leaving daycare and heading to big kid kindy. His mum said “Jack, if you’re going to be a big kid, you’d better do what big kids do” Jack asked “What do big kids do?” His mum said “Well, big kids tidy their rooms, share with their bay sisters, take out the garbage and they go to the dentist.” “Well”, said Jack, I don’t like those things. I pick going to the dentist.” Mum and Jack practiced opening their mouths very, very wide. They counted their teeth and made ridiculous faces. Mum had a tooth with a filling in it. She said that she had to get a filling because she didn’t brush her teeth enough. Jack brushed his teeth very carefully – mum was very impressed. The next day Jack was very excited. Only big kids go to the dentist. His mum left his baby sister at daycare and Jack went to the dentist. Babies can’t go to the dentist. Only big kids. When they arrived there was a crazy dental...

Read More