Most children are not afraid of dentists. They are afraid of not knowing what happens next. Almost everything that helps comes down to removing that.
Things that help
- Book the morning. A tired child at 4pm is a different child.
- Come once to do nothing. We are happy to have a first appointment where a child sits in the chair, works the buttons, and goes home. No charge for that.
- Let them hold the mirror. Watching is much better than wondering.
- Use plain words. “We are going to count your teeth” beats a euphemism they will see through.
The phrase to avoid
“It will not hurt.” It sets up hurt as the thing to watch for, and if anything is even uncomfortable, you have lost their trust. Try “tell me if you want me to stop” instead. It is true, it hands them control, and we will absolutely stop.
If it goes badly
Then it goes badly and we try again another day. Nobody is held down in this office.