Plenty of children are nervous about visiting the dentist and there are plenty of reasons why this could be. Perhaps they have had a bad experience themselves, or their friend has, or they have seen something on television. The sounds and smells are unnerving and new and they do not see their dentist very often so even this can be intimidating. Often children pick up on their parent’s nerves as well, as unintentional as this may be, if parents are nervous in case of bad news concerning their child’s sweet tooth or they have dental anxiety of their own, this can easily be passed down to their children, potentially creating a lifelong and unjustified fear. Parents speaking about their own ‘battle scars’ when it comes to tricky wisdom tooth extractions or root canals will do no wonders for their child’s confidence in the situation, even if they are not facing those procedures themselves. 

A dentist in Mackay will always love to see a child come in to their chair. First impressions can last a lifetime and the team are willing to go that extra mile to express their gentle, calm and friendly selves to a child in order to take that first step towards a lifelong positive relationship. There is plenty that the dentist, the parents and the child can do to alleviate some of the anxiety surrounding a visit to the Walkerston Dental in Walkerston. A lot of this positive influence can start at a very young age, where good habits can be established with ease. By taking a child to visit the dentist when they have only just started to produce teeth, dentists, parents and the child in question are able to begin a relationship based on understanding and respect for each other. 

There is no need to be very invasive in an approach to checking the mouth and gums to ensure that everything is as it should be. The main reason for a visit is to discuss how the parent should be caring for their baby’s new teeth and sensitive gums as new teeth emerge. As a child grows, there is plenty of opportunity for a dentist to investigate the health of milk teeth and emerging adult teeth as well. The earlier a routine is established, the quicker a dentist is able to identify changes in teeth orientation, health and more. Should a child begin to present with an incorrect bite, dentists are able to get a hold on these issues early, resulting in less impact on the child’s life and allowing the treatment to be done sooner. The focus, however, in children’s dentistry is on preventive care. This means that a lot of time is taken to ensure that the child has a full understanding of how to care for their own teeth, how to brush correctly and why it is so important.