Haverford Children’s Dentist
JENKINTOWN PEDIATRIC DENTIST SERVING HAVERFORD, ELKINS PARK, GLENSIDE, WILLOW GROVE, WYNCOTE & SURROUNDING AREAS
Pediatric Dentist near Haverford
At Elkins Park Dental Innovations, our goal has always been to serve our patients and their families as best as possible. By making a commitment to your child and their oral health care, visiting a Haverford children’s dentist with a team dedicated to making your child’s first dental visit a positive and comfortable experience, is the best way to go. It is important to understand that establishing good oral hygiene habits early in life makes it easier for you and your child to maintain a healthy smile. We focus on educating our patients about the prevention of dental diseases and we promise to provide your family with the friendly, gentle dental care you deserve.
Prevention and education, when it comes to good oral health, are two of the best treatments we can offer and we believe it starts at home. Preparing your child and informing them about what happens during their visit to the pediatric dentist near Haverford is essential to their care. Children can easily be scared or develop anxiety because of what they may have seen or heard about the dentist. It is even possible for them to have picked up their worries from listening to their parents or friends. Again, the goal is to limit their nervousness and make their trip to the pediatric dentist a positive one. We suggest, when possible, scheduling your next check-up at the same time as your child. This way, your child can see exactly what happens with their parents and feel more confident about visiting a pediatric dentist near Haverford.
How To Get Your Child to Go to the Dentist
As parents, raising children is a blessing and can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, especially when it comes to taking your child to their dentist. Taking your children to the dentist is inevitable and helps in finding out if additional service, such as a dental filling, might be needed on top of your child’s regular check-up. Aside from making their experience a fun and positive one, here are some major things you can actively put to practice to get your child to go to their dental appointment:
- Create familiarity for your child and their dentist. There is nothing worse than dealing with the constant loud cries, followed by anxiety in an environment you are not familiar with. This is what happens when your child is not trusting of their dentist and visits the dental office beyond the age of 2. It is best to start early and get your child to a dentist near Haverford right when their teeth begin to appear. This is usually around the child’s first birthday. This will create familiarity and routine between your child and their dentist while they are young so that you can avoid loud cries and screams in the future.
- Meet and greets are monumental in getting your child acquainted before their actual checkup. This is great for kids and parents who might be nervous and want an idea of who they might be dealing with before the appointment date.
- Hold their hand. Try to recall a time when you are scared to try something new and your mom or dad held your hand. It’s those moments that helped you gain the courage to overcome that task you were terrified of. The same applies to your child when they visit the dentist and have you holding their hand to make them feel comfortable and safe. This method can even be switched out with your child sitting on your lap while they get their regular checkups or dental procedures.
- Ask your dentist if X-rays are necessary. This is a question you want to find out about when your child is prone to gagging. Sometimes, children have a fear that they might gag and choke, but this is often a psychological fear and not real. This often happens when they are not comfortable and do not know what to expect from their pediatric dental appointment. It is important to gauge what your child is likely to do, especially when an x-ray of their teeth is going to be done. You can try talking to your child to ease the fear away and tell the dentist to proceed slowly with the x-ray process. If your child is still reluctant due to fear, find out if the x-ray process is necessary for the appointment to be done. You want to wait until your child gets to a point where he or she can overcome the fear of gagging.
- Divert all scary dental stories. Kids tend to listen to their fellow neighbors, friends, and siblings, especially in the case of a scary dental story. These sorts of stories create fears and may not be entirely true. When you hear such a story about a dentist “yanking out” a tooth, do your best to quickly divert the story and put the false stories to rest.
- Limit talking much at your child’s dental appointment. When you visit a Haverford children’s dentist, it can be tempting to chatter away in hopes of distracting your child from crying or getting nervous. It is important to allow the dentist to do most of the talking so that they can develop rapport with your child. It can be challenging to do so, but it is rewarding in the long run. If you have to speak, try to minimize how much you say, especially if what you might say would trigger your child into fear. Try your best to keep important talks with the dentist one-on-one after your child’s procedure is over.
Children’s Dentist in Haverford. Our Passion Is Your Smile!
Everyone knows that having a great smile not only boosts your confidence but also is a sign of good overall health. Our team of cosmetic dentists in Haverford are committed to providing you with the healthy, beautiful smile you have always dreamed of. We take pride in offering the latest advancements in cosmetic dentistry including dental implants to brighten, enhance, repair, and straighten your teeth. We also provide the following dental services: Invisalign™ clear braces, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dentistry, dental implants, fillings/restorations, dentures, bridges, dental crowns, tooth extractions, root canals, bonding porcelain veneers, inlays and onlays, and teeth whitening. Proudly serving Haverford, Abington PA, Elkins Park PA, Cheltenham PA, Glenside PA, Willow Grove PA, Wyncote, and surrounding areas.