Children aren’t always as willing as adults to go to the dentist, which is why it is critical to take them to their first appointment while they are young. The younger they are, the better off they’ll be.
Usually, we recommend bringing your child to the dentist for their first appointment around age 1 or when their first tooth erupts. However, paediatric dentists can treat children of all ages, including babies that are only a few weeks old.
Early visits to the dentist help to instil lifelong healthy dental habits that will serve your child for years to come. Getting them right can reduce dental anxiety and turn the experience of going to the dentist into an emotionally healthy and positive experience. Our dentists provide you and your child with help on maintaining oral health and reducing the risk of common issues, like cavities, in the future.
As part of this effort, Sunshine Dental Care offers a supportive, family-first environment. We put your child first to make arranging dental appointments for them more straightforward and less traumatic.
Why It Matters
Early dental checkups are critical for children’s oral health. These are opportunities for dentists to check their teeth alignment and ensure decay is absent. Misalignment or early-onset infections can cause problems as they group up, and can affect their adult teeth when they come through in the future.
Children’s dentists can also deal with unwanted habits like thumb-sucking. Reducing these behaviours early in life can prevent complications like an overbite that require orthodontic correction from developing in the future.
Ultimately, taking your child to the dentist from a young age is a form of preventative care. Appointments provide valuable oral health education for parents and children alike, reducing the risk of issues developing in the future.
How We Make It Comfortable
Our children’s dentist Kawana applies several approaches to ensure your child has a comfortable experience with us. We go the extra mile, designing our clinic to be as friendly as possible to help them relax.
For example, our staff have training on how to approach children gently. They understand kids’ fears and why many don’t want to visit the dentist, especially when they are young. We use behavioural research to determine the best approach for your child so they feel confident in the clinic.
Part of this involves deploying kid-friendly explanations. We work treatments in such a way that children feel comfortable and confident. Instead of focusing on drills and extractions, we focus more on the benefits of our procedures and the kindness of the people working at our practice.
When you arrive at our clinic, you’ll notice that it’s set up for calmness. The décor is muted and carefully arranged to make children feel at ease from the moment they enter the lobby.
Staff also have extensive experience working with young kids and toddlers. They reduce first-time nerves and leave children feeling like they’ve accomplished something every time they complete their appointment.
One approach we use is called systematic desensitisation. The idea behind this technique is to introduce children to dental procedures slowly to reduce discomfort and negative associations. Slow exposure to dental tools and procedures can reduce distress substantially.
Positive reinforcement is another technique that we use. Here, we praise the child and speak to them in a friendly way to encourage cooperation.
Providing positive reinforcement is most effective when combined with rewards, like stickers and prizes. These little tokens of appreciation are what motivate children to be brave and accept dental procedures.
Sometimes, it is possible for a kids dentist in Kawana to provide conscious sedation. These approaches tend to be safe and reduce children’s anxiety, allowing dentists to carry out essential dental work.
As a parent, you are welcome to sit in and be with your child while we carry out treatment. Having a parent close by relaxes a lot of kids and helps them focus less on what’s happened in their mouths.
Conclusion
Are you searching for family dental in Kawana? If so, we recommend against any delay. Make sure you take your child to the dentist as soon as you can for their first check-up.
So, what are you waiting for? Book a visit or call your friendly team at Sunshine Dental Care Kawana today to see how we can help.
