 Call for an Appointment: (503) 396-4750 
 Pediatric Office Open in St. Helens, OR
We're excited to meet our patients. Stop by and say hello. Browse through our site and learn more about us. Then give us a call to book your child's next appointment! Call today @ (503) 396-4750 
500 North Columbia Rver Hwy, Suite 505 St. Helens, OR, 97051 Map & Directions |
|
Posted on 7/25/2015 by William Moore |
 When you say the word "dentist" does your child go screaming? Or is it you that is freaking out inside? Maybe you have portrayed some of your anxiety onto your child? Children are not naturally afraid of the dentist. A select few might be apprehensive just because they are more introverted than others, but most kids will naturally embrace the chance to go to the dentist. If your child is not smiling as much as you had hoped at the thought of coming in to see us, here are a few simple tips to get him going. Start Early The best thing you can do is start earlier. The longer you wait to bring your child in for his first appointment, the more time he has to worry about it. If your child is school aged and he hears about other kids going to the dentist, he might wonder why he has never been. Now that the thought is in his head he will start to assume things, typically bad things. Rather than letting this occur, bring your child in to see us as soon as his first tooth erupts. If you miss that milestone, get him in as soon as you can. Even if you think is oral health is just fine, a quick cleaning and exam will benefit him down the road. Don't Show your Dental AnxietyIt can be very difficult not to show your own anxiety about going to the dentist. Try to put the thoughts of prior dentist experiences out of your head - especially if they were a long time ago. The dental industry has drastically changed in recent years, making a visit much more pleasant for most everyone - even those that need extensive dental work done.Make it a Game Kids love games, so why not make coming in to see us a game? If you have several children that you are bringing, make it a competition. See who can sit still the longest and let us do the exam/cleaning without fussing. Maybe you play Simon Says while he is in the chair if he is a little scared. Anything that will get your child smiling and having fun, allowing him to forget that he is at the dentist will be what you should do. Don't Talk Negative No matter what your prior experiences were with the dentist, do not talk about them with your child. If you have happy experiences to share, by all means share them. But if something happened or you had a painful experience, keep those thoughts to yourself. Also watch the words that you use to describe us. Don't use the word shot, pain, drill, cavity, or any other word that has a negative connotation. You want your child to think positively about his visit. When you come to our office, you can guarantee that we will make your child feel as welcome as possible. We have dealt with kids that were extremely resistant about coming in for a visit as well as those that absolutely love it. Chances are once your child is here and realizes that we are not going to do anything bad, he will relax. If he does not, make sure that you have some reinforcements with you, whether it is his iPod loaded with his favorite song or his favorite movie on a tablet. Anything that you know that will motivate your child to sit and endure the exam and cleaning is what you need to do in order to ensure optimal health for many years to come. If you are ready for your child's dental appointment, please call us at (503) 396-4750. |
Appointment Hours
|
