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What is dental anxiety?
Dental anxiety in children refers to a fear or apprehension specifically related to dental visits and procedures. It is a common phenomenon and can manifest in various forms, ranging from mild nervousness to severe anxiety or phobia. Several factors contribute to dental anxiety in children.
- Past Bad experience: Previous dental experience can highly effect a child’s next dental appointment depending on weather it was good or bad. It is likely that the child will have an anxiety or constant fear if he had a bad experience previously.
- Negative Parental conditioning: As a parent if you are going to tell your children “Doctor is going inject you if you misbehaved” or “ He is going to take your teeth out if you start shouting” . All these sentences are going to create an impression of the doctor as wicked.
- Parental influence: If parents will panic or seem to be frightened sitting on a dental chair, in front of their children. Then they are going to pick these attitudes which will eventually create dental anxiety in the longer run without any solid reason.
- Lack of control: Some children feel highly insecure sitting on a dental chair alone which can alleviate their anxiety.
Management tips for Parents:
- Positive reinforcement: Always give positive affirmations to your children regarding dentists for example “ the doctor is going to make your teeth shiny and more stronger” or “ He is going to wash away all bad monster sticking in your teeth” .
- Bringing comfort item: For children who feel insecure on a dental chair , parents can bring with them their most favorite toy to which they are strongly attached, telling them that we are going to show doctor their teeth as well.
- Open communication: It is of utmost importance to discuss with your children in a comfortable relaxed manner all their fears and concerns regarding dental visit so that they can be addressed and sorted out.
- Sedation: For a child who already had a very bad and painful experience from previous dentist , it is likely that the child will start screaming and get frightened by sitting on a dental chair.
Patient should consider sedation option for their children, in which a dentist completes all dental treatments in a single visit while the child is sedated.