Child friendly dentistry has gone a long way in helping to create a calm, pleasant environment for your child’s first visit to the dentist. Many modern Dental practices in Durban and surrounds, such as Gateway Dental, have highly trained staff and carefully designed rooms that further take away the stress of early dental appointments.
While choosing a child friendly dentist should be the first step in preparing your child for their first dentist visit, there are a number of things that parents can do to make this experience even easier. As parents, it is natural to feel concerned for your child. You yourself may have unpleasant memories about early dentist trips. You might want to try and shield your child by explaining what will happen, or offering them a special treat to make up for any injections or less-than-comfortable procedures. Knowing what to do (and what not to do) can go a long way in minimising the stress for everyone.

Child Friendly Dentistry Tips
A few tips to keep in mind when planning your kid’s first trip to the dentist include these child friendly dentistry ideas…
- Your child’s first dentist visit should be seen as routine. If you make it something as simple as going to the store or visiting the bank, your child will be less likely to be scared. On the other hand, if you are feeling stressed, the visit will be far more likely to become a dramatic event that your child remembers forever.
- Avoid giving your child too much information at this stage. Instead of trying to walk them through the visit, give them just enough information for them to know that they are visiting the dentist like mom and dad. This will further help to prevent fear and worry.
- Play dentist to prepare for the visit. Let your child look into your mouth, then look into your child’s mouth. You can even include some simple information about teeth and how important it is to keep teeth healthy. Another idea is to look for age appropriate books that explain the basics of dental health in a way that little ones will understand.
- Stay calm yourself. If you are feeling tense or worried, your child will quickly pick up on it and start to feel scared, too. Even if you had a bad experience as a child, it is good to note that child friendly dentistry has become the norm for almost every practice. Try your best to stay calm so that your child relaxes as well.
- Do not try to bribe your child in anticipation of injections or discomfort. This will give them more reason to feel nervous after assuming the worst. Instead, make it a calm experience by treating it as routine as possible. Rather than pre-emptively offering a treat in lieu of a bad encounter, remind your child that mom and dad often go to the dentist.
Even if your child is still apprehensive after their first dental visit, various options are still available such as nitrous oxide (‘happy gas’), conscious sedation and general anaesthesia. Gateway Dental offers state of the art dental solutions for patients of all ages. If are looking for a highly qualified child friendly dentistry practice in Durban and surrounds, be sure to book your appointment at Gateway Dental today.