How To Prepare Your Child For A Cavity Filling
There will come a time when your child will need to have a cavity filled. Once your child needs to have a cavity filled, they may become anxious about the process. As a parent, you may become anxious as well.
One of the best ways to curb this anxiety is to understand as much as possible about the procedure. Once you do, you will be more confident in guiding your child, and they will feel more comfortable. Here are some tips for preparing your child for a cavity filling.
Find Kids' Books On the Subject
An important part of the process is to make a child as calm as possible. One way to do this is by reading your child books on the subject. These books will help your child envision what their experience would be like. This will relieve their fear of the unknown and ensure that they stay as calm as possible.
Explain the Procedure
You should tell your child what to expect from the procedure from start to finish. Giving them a realistic picture with age-appropriate moderation is one of the easiest ways to alleviate their fears.
If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, you should schedule a consultation with your dentist, so that they can explain it in simple terms for your child. Pediatric dentists are skilled in knowing how to handle children's questions. This includes leaving out any scary words when they tell them about the procedure.
If you prefer to do this yourself, then keep it simple. Let your child know that your dentist will remove the decay, and then fill the hole with special materials that have the color of their tooth. In the final part of the process, the dentist will make sure that the material is firmly attached to the tooth. This is all you need to say when explaining what will happen.
Stay Calm
Many of the anxieties that children have about visiting the dentist are inherited from their parents. The best thing you can do as a parent even if you're not a fan of visiting the dentist is to not show it. When you remain calm, your child will do so as well and this will make the entire process go a lot more smoothly.
When your child has a cavity, it must be filled quickly before the entire tooth begins to rot. Make sure that you educate your child on the procedure and try to be positive as well as calm through the whole procedure. This will ensure that your child has a good experience.
To learn more, contact a pediatric dentist in your area.