How to Prepare Your Child for Their First Visit to a Kid Friendly Dentist

Visiting a kid friendly dentist for the first time can be scary, but a bit of preparation can go a long way toward easing your child’s fears about the process. When they feel more confident about what will happen, the entire experience can become one of adventure and excitement, not anxiety.

How your child experiences their first few visits to the dentist will have a dramatic impact on the rest of their life. If they have a positive interaction, they are more likely to keep up with good dental care for a lifetime.

Visiting a kid friendly dentist for the first time

Before patients take their children to a kid friendly dentist, it is smart to do a bit of preparation. Good places to start include the following.

Explain what will happen

Much of the fear regarding visiting the dentist comes down to a fear of the unknown. Young children have no context for understanding what will happen at a dental office, and they are often too young to understand that the dentist is there to help them.

To prepare, parents can explain what happens at a dentist’s office. A dentist is a doctor for the teeth, and they do checkups on the teeth to make sure they are healthy. They might put their hands in the child’s mouth — parents can do that too! Try it together so they know what to expect.

Visit the office beforehand

To help children feel more comfortable once they arrive for their dental appointment, parents may want to visit the office outside of the context of an appointment. Stop by so the child can look at the environment and meet the staff. When they arrive next, they will already be familiar with the space, helping them feel less displaced.

Practice together

Many things that occur at the dentist’s office are things that patients can also do at home, like flossing. Patients should think of as many things that might happen at the dentist as possible and then practice those actions! When a child flosses, touches their teeth and tongue, or tries to hold their mouth open as wide as possible, they gain valuable practice and familiarity with the tasks that they will need to perform at the appointment.

Think of questions

Children are often full of questions, but in a new space, they may forget everything that they were thinking. Parents should sit down with them to list out the questions that they would like to ask the dentist so nothing gets overlooked in the moment. This helps them be more prepared and confident as an active participant in their care.