Speaking on Everymum the podcast, Irish specialist children’s dentist Dr Abigail Moore shared the things you should avoid saying to your child before a dental appointment, and they are actually so common.
As adults, going to the dentist is often a chore at best, and a scary experience for some. Many of us weren’t as well-versed about dental health in our youth as we are now; visits to the dentist as kids weren’t always every six months, and did our parents prioritise teaching us to floss? Not really.
This meant dental problems, unsympathetic dentists treating them and a whole lot of adult trauma for us to deal with.
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But children are a blank slate, with no inbuilt fears of the dentist to contend with.
However, according to Dr Moore, we could accidentally be instilling a fear of the dentist in our children without even knowing.
Things you shouldn’t say to your child before a dentist visit
Dr Moore explained to podcast host Aisling Keenan that there are things parents often say that may cause their child to be anxious about the dentist, without even meaning to. Some of these phrases are may be well-meaning and seem kind, but are actually ‘psychologically difficult’ for our kids.
1. When I had a dentist, he was horrible
Sharing your own experience may seem like a good way to reassure your child but Dr Moore says that this will never have the effect you want it to. ‘The amount of parents that say that, it’s unbelievable,’ she told Aisling.
2. Dentists are much nicer than when I was a child
Similar to above, Abigail says not to say ‘anything negative’ at all to your child, as they may not have that perception on their own.
3. Don’t worry, it’s not going to hurt at all/There’s no need to be worried or anxious
This is something that you may say automatically in a completely well meaning way, because of your own fears. However it’s not as reassuring as you may think.
Dr Moore says that your child ‘might not have thought about being worried or anxious, and the minute you say “it’s not going to hurt at all” [they’re] immediately going “why would it hurt?”‘
What to say instead
The dentist says that you should always keep the language ‘really positive’ when talking about the dentist with your child. She tells listeners to say things like ‘this is my friend, she looks at teeth all day every day, she gives people lovely smiles’ and not to speak about their own experiences.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Dr Abigail tells Aisling about first dental visits, fluoride fears, soothers, thumb-sucking, and those mystery cavities that seem to appear no matter what you do.
Listen to the full episode now.
