Anyone else have a kid who's terrified of the dentist?

5d ago·1 min read

My 5yo has a cleaning scheduled for Tuesday and he's already losing it. We've tried everything—explaining it's no big deal, letting him watch kid-friendly dentist videos, promising rewards. Last appointment he cried the whole time and made it impossible for the hygienist to actually do anything. Do I just force it or is there some trick I'm missing? This is gonna be a long 10 years of dental visits.

5 comments336 views

Comments(5)

BBen L.Regular4d ago

Tell the dentist about the fear before Tuesday. Good offices have special techniques for anxious kids—they go slower, explain what they're doing, let the kid control when they open their mouth. Makes a huge difference.

PPaul T.Regular3d ago

Ask the dentist if you can watch from the waiting room instead of sitting in the exam room with him. Sometimes parent anxiety makes it worse and they can feel it.

DDerek P.Regular3d ago

Our 6yo was like this. What actually worked was letting him sit in the dentist chair with NO tools at first, just to get comfortable with the space. Took three visits but eventually he realized nothing scary happens.

DDale J.Regular3d ago

lol the reward thing backfires sometimes because then they think they NEED a reward to do something hard, which confirms it's scary. Keep it low-key and celebrate after like "you did it!" not "here's your prize for surviving."

WWes B.Regular2d ago

Honestly the videos might be making it worse if he's watching other kids who are scared. Sometimes that plants ideas. I'd skip those and just keep it casual—"the dentist looks at teeth, that's it."