Preparing Your Child For Treatment
Our best advice and recommendations: together, we can vanquish the fear of the dentist!
As parents, you are your child's first companions.
You know how to reassure your child and help calm them when they’re afraid or anxious.
Together we can take every step so that your child will associate happy experiences and positive memories with dentistry and dental care.
To do this:
At home
If nitrous oxide is prescribed:
What to bring:
When you arrive at our office:
During treatment:
After treatment:
1.
1.
Focus attention away from the treatment
You can download a fish for your child to color in at home, which they can then put to sea in one of our interactive virtual aquariums during their visit!
2.
2.
Avoid words that can be scary
Being mindful of vocabulary and conveying positivity goes a long way. In particular, avoid using the following words:
- pain, hurt
- anesthesia, shot
- cavity, blood
- exam, clinic
- pull out
3.
3.
Conceal your own fear of the dentist
Speak to your children positively about your experiences at the dentist. And if that’s difficult to do, for the sake of their own oral health, it can sometimes better to avoid the subject.
4.
4.
Inform your child
Help your child prepare themselves by giving them simple and clear information. Examples are given on the information sheets provided.
5.
5.
Use positive language
In moments of stress and pain, negations aren't understood. For example, if you tell your child not to be afraid, they'll only here be afraid...
Avoid the following phrases (turn over the cards to see what options work better):
"You won't even feel it"
"The doctor will chase the microbes off your teeth"
"Don't be afraid"
"The doctor will be nice to you"
"It won't hurt"
"The doctor will tickle your teeth with a magic wand"
6.
6.
Give your child the prescribed medications
If medicine has been prescribed, make sure to give it to your child according to the doctor's instructions.
Please be careful to respect the dosage and the schedule (in particular, note that some medicine is to be given an hour before your visit).
If Nitrous Oxide Is Prescribed
1.
1.
Explain nitrous oxide to your child
As a guide, and to help you better explain nitrous oxide to your child, please watch this video together:
2.
2.
Give breathing exercises a shot
To help your child relax, try this 5 minute mediation together today, and again the morning of the treatment.
3.
3.
Don't give your child anything to eat beforehand
Don't give your child anything to eat for at least three hours before treatment. If treatment is early in the morning, this unfortunately means skipping breakfast.
If treatment is scheduled for the late morning or early afternoon, choose a light meal, without dairy products, at least three hours before your visit.
What To Bring
Bring a book or your smartphone for the waiting room!
Don't forget fish your child has colored in so they can put it to sea in our aquarium.
When You Arrive At Our Office
1.
1.
Suggest that your child enter the treatment room all by themselves
"It'll be over soon."
"I just don't know if there'll be enough time to watch an entire episode of your cartoon."
"It might hurt"
"It won't always be comfortable, but the doctor will make sure you're always OK"
"Mommy will be right beside you."
"Don't worry, I'll wait right here while you watch your cartoons."
Suggest that your child enter the treatment room all by themselves. If that's not possible, someone can accompany them at the start of the treatment.
Please try to let us guide your child and follow our recommendations. Excellent treatment is only possible when there is good cooperation between your child’s dental team and parents.
2.
2.
Arrive early for a virtual reality experience!
Help your child relax and arrive 15-20 minutes early so that your child can experience our virtual reality headsets!
Our Healthy Mind virtual reality headsets promote the brains own cognitive capabilities to attenuate the perception of pain as well as guide respiration in order to reduce pain and anxiety.
During Treatment
"Do you feel the shot?"
"The dentist tickled your teeth"
"Stop crying"
"I know it's uncomfortable. Count with me... 1... 2... 3..."
"Does it hurt?"
"Look, Elsa's on the TV! What's she doing?"
We strictly use positive language to describe our instruments and procedures. Terms like shot, prick, drill, pull out condition children to be afraid from the beginning. So instead, we choose words like clean, wash, brush, wipe.... In our office, there are only sprinklers, teeth cleaners, vacuum kisses...
In this mindset, we explain to your child each step of their treatment before it begins: we put teeth to sleep, or clean them, or take them off -and we only perform the steps that your child gives us the OK for.
Unfortunately, there are times when your child will inevitably feel part of the treatment. We describe these sensations as a tickle, pinch, a pressing like a balloon or a pillow, etc. Our Goal is to help them through the more difficult parts of the treatment.
Sometimes, children may not be ready for treatment at first. It’s often important to establish a playful atmosphere before starting treatment: putting to sea the fish they colored in (in our interactive aquarium), picking out a cartoon, finding the most comfy position in the chair, taking a virtual reality trip, breathing the respirator with the laughing gas...
Did You Know?
Our staff is trained in medical hypnosis
Medical hypnosis is an effective means of managing children’s behavior during dental treatments. It can both reduce pain and leave positive memories after the visit. The hypnosis itself functions by concentrating the child’s conscious mind on the non-menacing aspects of the experience while the child is in an altered state of consciousness.
Did You Know?
We use osteocentral anesthesia
Dental anesthesia has made great advancements thanks to modern technology. Today, we use osteocentral anesthesia administered by our magic wand. It acts in 30 seconds, eliminates pain entirely, and increases comfort levels considerably.
After treatment
"Does it hurt?"
"How do you feel?"
"Good job! You're so wise and courageous"
"That wasn't too hard, was it?"
"How do you feel?"
"I'm so proud of you, you behaved so well"
"Are you afraid?"
"How do you feel?"
"We should celebrate this evening. I love you."
We invest our time to ensure that your child leaves our office with happy experiences and positive memories associated with dentistry and dental care.
We are mindful of our language, asking your child how they feel and not did it hurt or that wasn’t so bad, was it, which favors the remembrance of positive moments. And to keep that good memory after the visit, we devote special attention to children’s emotional experience and feelings when leaving the office.
You can also help us reinforce this positivity by thanking your child and complimenting them on their behavior.
We hope that the information we’ve provided is useful in supporting your child during their dental treatment. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to address any member of our team.
Thank you in advance for you collaboration and efforts towards making this experience as happy and pleasant as possible for your child.
