No parent looks forward to learning that their child has a cavity. However, children will also take this news much harder than the adults in their life will. Today, our Smiletown Burnaby dentists offer some advice about preparing your child for their first filling.
Children often get very upset when they find out they have a cavity, and their parents often feel guilty.
That said, you can turn this into a positive experience if you approach the situation as an opportunity to connect with your child and teach them about their oral health. Here are a few things you can do to help make getting a filling a more positive experience for your kid.
Firstly, stop feeling guilty!
In spite of our best efforts, cavities sometimes just crop up - it happens.
What matters is that when a cavity forms, your child is on a regular schedule with their dentist to the tooth decay can be detected before it develops into a larger issue. Finding a cavity early makes it easier to address. In addition, you and your child learn which spots in their mouth will need to be cleaned more carefully during their at-home oral hygiene routine.
Be relaxed.
Take a deep breath before having the conversation. Speak in a calm, positive and confident tone.
Do what you can to avoid framing this situation as punishment for not brushing diligently enough. You'll be better served by explaining that each tooth will need to be cleaned better than before.
Use straightforward, age-appropriate language.
Depending on the age of your child, the language you use to describe what will happen during the filling procedure will vary. For young children, explain that ‘the dentist is going to clean the sugar bugs out of your tooth,’ and leave it at that.
If your child is bit older, explain that the dentist will clean the area out and patch it up, and it won't hurt a bit!
If your child is extremely anxious, consider sedation.
SmileTown Burnaby provides safe and effective sedation options for those children who feel more nervous or afraid than usual regarding their dental procedures.
Contact our office to talk with us about whether sedation is right for your child.
Use the situation as a learning experience.
Now that you are aware of what areas of your child's oral health routine need some fine-tuning after their filling, you can both focus on giving more attention to those problem areas to help prevent future cavities from forming.