Many children have the experience of going to the hospital for a dental appointment, and that feeling of nervousness and fear sometimes arises before they go and is even stronger when they are in the hospital. This bad feeling can even be ingrained and affect them as adults, forming adult dental phobia. Taking small children to the dentist can be a challenge and a struggle for parents. In clinical practice, many parents beat and cajole children who do not cooperate with treatment, but to no avail. What can be done to eliminate or alleviate this tension and fear in children? The first and foremost is the parent’s word and example. We know that parents are the first teachers of their children, and this is also true in the case of dental appointments. Before going to the hospital, please try to downplay the matter, it’s not a big deal, just an open mouth examination, there are bad teeth to take care of it will be fine. Never use a scary, frightening tone of voice before going to the hospital to tell your child how scary it is to go to the dentist, don’t be afraid! This will only increase the child’s fear. If it happens that the parents also need to see a dentist, it is best for the parents to see the teeth first and set an example, so that the child also has a visual understanding. Look, mom and dad didn’t cry during the dental visit and finished it normally. Many times a child’s pain is just psychological, if you can calm him down, his tolerance level will improve a little. Depending on the age of the child, parents should let the child see the dentist on his or her own if they can do so without the doctor, so that the child will be more independent and strong. If you do need to be there, you can cheer him on and cheer him on. Instead of being around to constantly criticize him and increase his negative emotions. The child is already scared and will be more resistant if there is no encouragement. At the same time, try not to talk during the doctor’s treatment, in order to ensure a quiet environment to calm the child’s nervousness during the consultation, and secondly, your “Does it hurt?” “Doctor, please be gentle?” may aggravate the child’s fear, but will have adverse consequences. Very often, what children need most in their first visit is not the dental treatment, but the psychological acceptance. Therefore, it is advisable to do some simple adaptation treatment during the first visit, such as oral examination, guidance on brushing, etc., so that the child’s level of cooperation will be significantly improved after the second visit when he or she gets used to the environmental situation, and then complete the required treatment, which will be more effective. See how foreign children see dental care This is how foreign countries take their children to dental care, we can learn from it. It is very humane to say that foreign countries are very humane, but it does not mean that we are not humane. Let’s take a look at how to see the baby’s teeth abroad? 1, Canada: a good “vaccination” in advance Heidi took her daughter to see a dentist for the first time when she was 2 years old. Before going to the clinic, Heidi first in accordance with the doctor’s requirements, to give the baby a good “vaccination”: “Baby, we are going to see the dentist. The dentist, that is, let you open your mouth to see if your teeth look good, but also to take pictures of your teeth. Also, the dentist will give you a gift, you take the gift and we can go home.” Perhaps the words worked, Heidi found that all the way, her daughter was very excited. When she arrived at the clinic, there was no pain because it was just a routine checkup, and the doctor’s kindness allowed the child to keep that excitement going until the end. Eight years after the fact, Heidi still remembers the situation vividly. “If a baby is left with the impression of fear and dread at the first dental visit, I’m afraid it will be difficult to transform later.” And now, Heidi’s daughter will fix 2 dental visits per year, without a little reluctance. 2, Sweden: practice pinching the back of the hand before playing anesthesia Woody became resistant to the dentist because of a bad dental visit. It was not until the first cavity appeared in Woody that the mother had no choice but to take her son into the dentist’s office again. From the first visit, the doctor always chatted with Woody, telling him some interesting stories and letting him pick out a “special gift for you” before leaving. Once before he was due to have his teeth filled, the doctor told him, “Go back and do a little test with your mommy and let her pinch the back of your little hand, once a day.” On the day of the filling, the doctor asked Woody, “Did you do the test with mommy every day? Does it hurt? In a moment I will give you an injection of anesthesia, that’s how it feels.” “Yes, it did, and it didn’t hurt at all!” Woodcutter said proudly. Sure enough, the treatment process, although woodcutter a little nervous, but still very smoothly completed the treatment. Before leaving, the doctor reminded the woodcutter: “Later your lips will become “fat”, that is the reason for the anesthetic to help you stop the pain, by the time you eat dinner will be fine, do not be afraid ah.” At the end of the day, the woodcutter surprised his mother by telling her, “My lips are back!” As you can see, it is important for children to adapt to the dentist, and of course, children who have had unpleasant experiences with dental treatment, like Woody, need more patient and experienced dentists. 3, Japan: first brush your teeth to adapt to the treatment chair Taking your child to the dentist is a difficulty that almost every parent will encounter. And my experience in Japan proves that there is nothing to be bothered about if you use the right method. The dentist usually starts by having the child sit in the treatment chair with the parent and practice brushing their teeth. On the one hand, this helps the child learn to brush properly, and on the other hand, it allows him to get used to the chair first and lessen his fear. During the formal treatment, the doctor will tell the child who understands what will happen if the teeth are not treated, such as not being able to eat good food, etc. For children who are unreasonable, the doctor will ask the parents to leave the office from the beginning, because many children are quite good when they do not see adults, but start to make trouble when they see adults. Of course, the toy as a reward, asking the child to open his mouth with the treatment method, usually are also tried and tested. 4, the United States: no pain as the first principle American dentists are most concerned about helping children overcome their fears when visiting the doctor. Before taking a child to the dentist for the first time, they will advise parents to tell them what a dentist is, why they want to go to the dentist, and to make the child feel that going to the dentist is a fun thing to do. In the dental office, there are no instruments to be seen. All the instruments are concealed and installed in shiny cabinets. The child lies in the dental chair and can look up and see the television program on the ceiling. In general, when a dentist treats a child’s teeth, the first priority is that it does not hurt. If a filling is needed, it must be done under anesthesia, and when the child wakes up, all the dental problems are solved. There is no need to make a trip back and forth to the hospital and there is no pain. To make their children not afraid of dental visits, their parents bring their own children along when they have their own regular cleanings or oral health care, so they can also sit in the dental chair and feel and see their teeth. Of course, the best way is still to let children adhere to oral health care every day and develop good oral hygiene habits. Parents can check their children’s oral conditions at home frequently to find problems and seek medical attention as early as possible. If you want to have a healthy teeth, start taking care of it now.