Dental treatment for children

Your child's first visit to the dentist should above all be one thing: calm. Children get used to a practice more easily when nothing has to be done. What you as parents can contribute to that, you can read here.

The first visit without treatment

Bring your child along early, even to an appointment of your own. At their first appointment we only look, count the teeth and let your child touch whatever interests them. They get to know the rooms, the sounds and us, without anything happening. That experience carries them later, if something does need doing.

How we talk to children

We use words that children understand and that do not frighten them. With us the curing lamp becomes the “blue magic light” and the suction tube the “mouth hoover”. We announce every step in advance. We first show the instrument on the hand and only then use it in the mouth.

What you can do and leave out beforehand

At home, talk about the appointment calmly and in passing. Do not tell your child about your own bad experiences, not even as a joke. Avoid words such as drill, needle or hurt, even in a sentence that denies them. The line “It certainly will not hurt” is what puts the idea into a child's head in the first place.

A morning appointment, a well rested child and a little time beforehand all help. Praise after the visit works better than a reward promised in advance.

Why milk teeth are important

Milk teeth hold the space open for the adult teeth. If a milk tooth is lost too early, the neighbouring teeth often drift into the gap. Space then becomes tight for the adult tooth. Milk teeth are also needed for chewing and for learning to speak. That is why we treat them and only take them out when there is no other way.

Prevention includes regular check-ups, usually twice a year, and applying fluoride varnish. We can seal the deep grooves of the adult back teeth, that is close them with a thin resin. Otherwise plaque easily settles there.

If it does not work the first time

Some children will not open their mouth, and that is all right. We do not push and we try again at the next appointment. Stay calm yourself, your child takes their cue from you. Call us if you would like to discuss something in advance. We take the time.