As parents, we are responsible for setting examples for our children. This is especially true when it comes to medical health in general, and dental habits too. One of the biggest issues dentists have with parents is the fear of dentists that is passed on.

We live in an age where most dental procedures are, at worst, uncomfortable. It is rare for a patient to leave a dental surgery in any pain. These days, even local anesthetics are relatively painless thanks to the use of gum-numbers prior to receiving the needle. So when parents exhibit a fear of going to the dentist, this is unwittingly passed on to their children.

Children pick up both negatives and positives from their parents. If they overhear a parent making comments such as; “I have an appointment with the dreaded dentist today” or “I am not looking forward to today’s dental appointment”, children wonder why. More importantly, they pick up those negatives. So when it’s their turn to visit the dentist, what do you get? “I don’t want to visit the dreaded dentist”!

For the dentist, this makes life difficult for them as well. The child arrives and is not going to be in a cooperative mood. Once they are settled and relaxed, they suddenly realize that it isn’t going to hurt at all. Unfortunately, this experience doesn’t stay with them for long. Once they get home all they hear is how horrible a trip to the dentist is.

Many people do have fears when it comes to visiting the dentist, especially older folk who may have experienced some of the more painful procedures that were in place decades ago. Rather than teach your child to fear the dentist, mask your own fear and talk positively about dentists and the need for regular checkup. You will be doing your children a great service – and starting them on the road to good dental habits and good children’s dental health.

Tags: dental habits, Dental Health