Does your child experience anxiety or misbehave at the dentist’s office? If so, the following tips can help!
Though many children react positively to dentists and other medical providers, some have issues with going to appointments. The most common results are anxiety, rebellion, and generally misbehaving. This behavior can be incredibly frustrating for parents. Fortunately, you can use various methods to manage your children’s behavior before and during dental appointments.
Outstanding customer car for our 15 yrs old Autistic Granddaughter. Rebekah really helped put our minds and ease and helped us plan the next visit when it came to reservations we had on the cost of this treatment, and future ones. This is expensive, but worth it knowing they help special needs kids, teens and adults. Sedation dentistry team handle everything great! Thank you Dr. Thoms and the team!!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your thoughtful review. We’re so glad our team could provide a supportive and reassuring experience while helping you plan for future care. It means a great deal to know you felt informed and cared for every step of the way. We truly appreciate your kind words and the trust you’ve placed in us.
Dr Thoms specializes in dental anesthesia for patients with Special Needs. My daughter has been a patient of his for many years. His experience, depth of knowledge and understanding the needs of Special Needs patients is excellent. He presents clear and detailed information for his procedures and treatment options along with expectations during aftercare. Follow up instructions include a personal phone call from him as well as additional calls from his office staff. I highly recommend Dr Thoms and definitely give him 5 stars.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. We’re grateful for the trust families place in our team and are committed to providing thoughtful, individualized care with clear communication every step of the way. Your recommendation means a great deal to us!
My hygienist, DeLaina Joost, takes excellent care of my teeth with her advanced skills, gentle touch and great “chair side” manner. She is a consummate professional, and such a compassionate person. I look forward to my visits at DAC!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad to hear you had a positive experience with our team and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
I want to thank everyone at the Dental Anesthesia Center for taking care of me yesterday—Meaghan helped me get the forms filled out correctly and in on time, Daisy for guiding me in and getting me out safely, Dr. Hoffman for taking care of my teeth and dealing with my really terrible gag reflex, and EVERYONE who helps make this happen. I don't know all of your names, but I do know that it takes all of you working together to make my dental care possible and have good results.
I'm always nervous when I first arrive, even though every procedure has had a good outcome. I've never had any pain or excessive bleeding as a result. The one thing I realized yesterday is that all of you are warm, friendly, positive, you have what is called a good vibe, which helps me a great deal.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. We’re so glad our team could help you feel comfortable and supported throughout your visit. Providing a safe, positive environment is very important to us, and your feedback means a great deal. We truly appreciate your trust in our care!
Dr. Thoms and his entire staff at The Dental Anesthesia Center have been absolutely wonderful!! They're all so kind and knowledgeable. I would give them 10 stars if I could!!!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words! We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It means a lot to hear this feedback.
Realistic Expectations
The first method you can use is before you arrive at the dental office. It is creating realistic expectations for your children. This strategy reduces fear through education. The first way you can do so is through simple explanations about what a facility looks like and what might happen during an appointment. The second method is reading through a children’s book that tackles this issue for you.
Modeling
Children tend to model their behavior on the people around them. You can use this effect to help them with dental fears. The best way to do so is to bring them to an appointment for you or one of their siblings. This experience should show them how a person is supposed to handle medical treatment.
Distractions
Now, let’s move on to management tips you can use at the appointment rather than before. One of them is providing distractions; the best way is through the dentist’s entertainment system. It allows you to focus your children’s attention on a television show or movie rather than the treatment they are getting. Not only are distractions helpful, but watching entertaining content might help you build a positive association between your child and the dentist.
Incentives
One of the most potent persuasion strategies you can use is offering incentives. To do so, think of one of the things your children love to do most. Whether that is a trip to the movies, the park, or a favorite restaurant, you can use that activity as a bargaining chip to help your children behave. Sharing the experience can be a wonderful bonding moment for you and them.
Positive Reinforcement
Lastly, a bit of positive reinforcement goes a long way regarding behavioral management. Telling your children that they are brave and giving other words of encouragement should make them behave at the dentist. As an added benefit, this method should become more and more effective as time passes because reinforcement tends to compound when used over long periods.
If you’re lucky, none of your children will have issues going to the dentist. What might happen, though, is that one or more of them misbehave or feel anxious when doing so. Your best bet at solving this problem is utilizing the tried and true behavioral management techniques on this list. One last factor you can’t discount is the quality and friendliness of your pediatric dentist. If you think it might be time to find a new pediatric dentist, find someone who puts your children at ease.
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