My 6 Yr. Old Son Is Terrified to Go to the Dentist today.....what Do I Do?

I second Jen's recommendation of Carlsbad Pediatric Dentist. She is wonderful in how she explains each thing to the child and she has the office set up for kids. Video games in the waiting room, tv's on the ceiling and she has a great gentle touch. ###-###-####.

My son was two when he had three partial root canals. The dentist papoosed him and it was horrible! Needless to say dentist visits did not go well. I found a wonderful pediatric dentist (also a mother of children of a similar age) who was able to deal with him without papoosing him. Sometimes I would lie down on the chair and hold him. My daughter also wasn't cooperative with a regular dentist but the ped dentist was able to take care of her. Find a cooperative pediatric dentist. He/she will make a world of difference. Oh, and I never tell my kids before hand that we are going to the dentist or doctor. It cuts down on the amount of time I have to listen to them complain. They are 12 and 9 now and cooperative. Good luck!

I would try to find a pediatric dentist that specializes in children. I am guessing that perhaps when they did his x-rays they did not use child size film in his mouth so the rough edges probably scratched his gums. If you can't find a pediatric dentist be sure that you ask the person giving the x-rays to use the smallest child-sized films. You might want to read Curious George Goes to the Dentist to him. It makes going to the dentist seem silly and fun! Good luck!

A young child DOES NOT need routine xrays. Xrays are radiation and are cumulative. My son didn't have xrays or flouride (toxic) and he is having his second cavity at age 13. If he would have been more careful with his hygiene he wouldn't have this cavity. Did you take him to a nice pediatric dentist for a checkup and cleaning?
Just tell the dentist you don't want xrays. It's your choice as a parent.
Good luck.

I can not recommend enough Carlbad DDS, Pediatric Smiles. They specialize in infants, children and teens. They are located in Carslbad (obviously) and the number is ###-###-####. The place is amazing and the goal for them is to create a 'good experience' for the child so they will want to come back. I just took my 3 year old- and was so nervous bc his 3 year well check up had not gone well- and they weren't even in his mouth digging around! It was fantastic- flavored gloves, flavored toothpaste, tv screens in the ceiling- and they explain everyting they are doing and will not do anything that makes the little one uncomfortalbe- my son was so comfortable that he did it all- x-rays, teeth cleaning, etc.
www.carlsbaddspediatricsmiles.com
Good Luck!

Hi, Jeana
I don't know if changing dentists is an option, but you may try to find one that has a different way of doing x-rays. The one we go to has this chair the kid sits in and it moves around from side to side and there are NO plastic hard "films" they have to bite down on and hurt their little mouths. Also, by simply letting him know that you are going to a different dentist may give him enough courage to try a new one in a positive manner....

Good luck!
L.

Is there someone who can go with you, for extra support?

Perhaps, call the Dentist,...and give them the head's-up that your son is scared to go to his appointment today... maybe that way, when you get there, they can "assist" somehow...

Yes, lots of Parents tell their child of some reward or treat or "prize" to give the child an incentive for the whole ordeal...

What is something he REALLY likes or wants? Perhaps, reward him with this... since he is so frightened....
ALso, our girl used to take a favorite "lovey" or stuffed animal/doll with her to her appointments... it helped her to feel better.

After the appointment, make sure you really talk with him about it... tell him how proud you are, how "brave" he was... and what not. Assure him, and have a special time with him afterwards....

All the best... I know how you feel.. my daughter used to fear the dentist too... so my Hubby would take her there... since he was better at handling her and her crying/screaming at the Dentist office....

Big hugs to your son... I remember my own fears of these appointments when I was a child...

Take care,
Susan

Dear J.,

I don't blame him. Go to the library - they will have some great books about children going to the dentist and great pictures to help him get accustomed to the furniture in a dental office. Also, tell the Dentist. If he doesn't have some special way to communicate with kids, then call another dentist. My husband is 82 now and 'hated' dentists all of his life, therefore he had bad teeth problems, finally I told the Dentist the problem, and he made a special effort to become friends with Harvey, and all has been well for about 20 years now. So you see someone should have helped him when he was a boy. C. N.

Hi J., Maybe you can ask the dentist to just look in your daughters mouth first, and when your sons see's she's OK maybe that will make him a little less scared. Is this for school? Fear in children is something that they just have to grow out of sometimes. Don't nurture his fear, because that
will just validate it, and he will go on believing there is something to be afraid of. Hope this helped a little. J.

Hi,
I'm not sure where you are located, but there is an amazing kid's dental office in Eastlake in Chula Vista, if you arent too far, it is worth the trip. I havent met a kid yet that doesnt love to go there, my son likes to go even when he doesnt have an apointment, just play video games and watch movies. They have an excellent way with kids !
http://www.thesuperdentists.com/
Other than that, you can try bargining with him and let him know that he will recieve a reward after his visit for being on his best behavior, like lunch at his favorite place, or to pick out a toy at Target maybe.
He is old enough to where you can calm his nerves with bribery if all other methods fail ;) My son is 6 too :)

Have you tried a pediatric dentist? Some specialize w/ kids w/ fears. Forcing him to do things at the dentist may set him up to avoid the dentist for life.

when you take him express to them how afraid he is, make another appointment, let the dentist that only pretend to examine him today, reward him with a new tooth brush then in another two weeks, tell your son the dentist was so proud of him he wanted your son to come back in and show all the other kids how good he was. He isn't in grave need to have all the stuff done at dentist is he. My son has to be put in the hospital to have his dental done they knock him out,

Blessings

With my son we used the homeopathic remedy Gelsenium which is for anticipatory anxiety in a 30c. You can get it an any health food store. I also promised him $5 and no chores for the day if he behaved well at the dentist.

Good luck,
D.

Have you called the dentist to give them a heads up? It will help them if they're prepared for a tense child. Make it clear that you're less concerned about his check up and more concerned about him learning to be ok with the dentist.

Are you seeing a 'pediatric' dentist - they have all the toys and games and usually the kids can watch a movie during their check up. I was able to have my son sit on my lap for his first visit. I hope you're able to work through it... teeth are so important and I'm sure once he has a positive visit his fears will go away.
Good luck

Hi,
I have a sensitive son too. I have found that humor is just key with him. If you make it, respectful of his fears (really acknowledging them and understanding them) but also throw some silliness in it, it kind of deflects his deep-seated fear issues. This has always worked wonders for my son and given him a great sense of humor too. Also, it's very important for him to express himself. Sensitive kids are usually very bottled-up, and we all know what torture that is, so encourage him to talk about his feelings, laugh out loud, even scream (which you'd never want to do with a boisterous kid, but here it's helpful) to express how he feels. Another important thing is books that deal with just such things, and how that character responds. Start reading stuff like that in the days before he does something "scary" and then you can remind him to act like that character, and how everything turned out ok. Then, when it's over, empower him by saying how he "did it" and what a strong person he is. Now it's time for the reward (a small treat or whatever). He needs to know that it was worth it. Maybe you can compare him to his fav. super hero or something. Make it fun and you can go along way.
M. C.

Mabye try to play dentist at home with him. He can be the dentist or patient, he can use dolls or stuffed animals to be the patients, etc. This kind of play might help you further understand what his fears are and help him work through them...

are you seeing a pediatric dentist? sometimes the environment makes all the difference. also, the staff is used to working with kids and kids who have a difficult time feeling comfortable.

a good dentist won't push it too far and will work with you. i know it can be stressful seeing your child in such distress, but really, the more calm you are, them more he will see that it really is okay.

and encourage him to speak up. if he's feeling pain with just x-rays, someone should say something so it can be fixed.