Easing Anxiety About Cavity Treatment for Kids

No matter how welcoming a dental practice is or how friendly the dental team is, it’s common for children to feel a little nervous if they need a certain treatment outside of a routine teeth cleaning like a filling to fix a cavity. Cavities are one of the most common dental issues, so it’s possible that at some point in their childhood, your child will need to get a tooth filling to protect the health of their smile. If your little one has some anxiety about receiving cavity treatment, here are some tips to help them feel less worried and more calm.

Practice Positive Reinforcement

Even if you’ve had bad dental experiences in the past, it’s better to keep those to yourself so that you don’t pass on your fear or worries to your child. Instead, use positive words to explain how cavity treatment will help your child’s smile stay strong and healthy.

Role Play at Home

Another way to ease your child’s anxiety about cavity treatment is to role play at home. You and your child can take turns playing the patient and the dentist, or you can even act out a dental appointment with some stuffed animals. That way your child will have a better idea of what to expect when it comes time for their actual treatment.

Consider Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry is the practice of administering sedation medication to help patients relax during their dental treatment. If your child is dealing with severe anxiety over their cavity treatment, dental sedation can help them sit through the procedure calmly. We offer calming dental sedation, including nitrous oxide, as part of our dental services.

Need more tips to help your child prepare for their cavity treatment? Let our team know. At Tots to Teens Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics in Laredo, our expert team is standing by to help in any way that we can.

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Categorised in: Restorative Dental Care