EASING YOUR CHILD'S ANXIETY PRIOR TO VISITING THE DENTIST

Ophir Alalouf

INTRODUCTION Dr. Ophir Alalouf received his DDS at the State University of New York at

Buffalo. Dr. Ophir Alalouf is currently an owner of Kids Teeth LLC in Rockville, Maryland, where he provides the full spectrum of pediatric dental services.

Visiting the dentist can be scary for kids. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to help your child relax. When preparing for the visit, try not to say too much. Maintain an upbeat and positive mood, but refrain from telling your child everything will be fine, in order to keep your child from losing trust if the dentist finds an issue.

At the same time, avoid negative descriptors like “pain,” “drill,” and “shot.” Instead, tell your child that the dentist will count how many teeth he or she has and make sure the teeth are strong and healthy. Keeping it simple and focusing on the positive will help to allay anxiety.