About Kid-Friendly Dentists

As with all types of professionals, dentists come in many shapes and sizes. Their bedside manner and office style can vary widely and different oral care practitioners are good at different aspects of oral health. A dental professional that is good with adults and receives rave reviews from your neighbors may not be the best person to take your kids to for their oral health and hygiene needs. There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a dentist that is kid-friendly.

First, you want to find out how much experience this particular dentist has with children. Do they see a lot of kids? Or are kids more of an afterthought and included in their practice in order to accommodate and provide convenience for their adult patients? Pediatric dentists have two or three more years of specialized training than regular oral health care practitioners. This enables them to be aware of and prepare for the special needs that kids have. Kids are very different than adults in many ways and their oral health and hygiene is no exception.

Second, you want to find out if they are set up in their office to accommodate kids. Some dentists cater specially to children and decorate when them in mind. Drawings on the walls, books and magazines in the waiting room, toys and furniture that is down-sized all help children feel at ease from the moment they enter the dentist office.

Thirdly, dentists that dress appropriately for children help make them more comfortable. Face masks can be very scary things to small children and it is hard to picture the fact that there is a real person behind the blank white glare of a protective mask. Some oral health care providers that treat a lot of children wear face masks that have fun or colorful designs and patterns on them. Making a child laugh or smile at the mask is one big step toward eliminating the fear of the unknown.

Fourth, some dentists offer kid-friendly incentive programs such as cavity-free clubs and other rewards for practicing good oral health and hygiene habits. These types of incentives are very important to a lot of kids and can help them develop responsibility for their own oral health care as they get older.

Lastly, follow your gut instinct. Arrange an initial consultation with the dentist and evaluate their bedside manner from your point-of-view. Are they at ease with children? In turn, do they do things to help the kids feel comfortable and at ease? Or is everyone a little uncomfortable and on edge? Dentists that are kid-friendly will use appropriate language for their education level and praise the kids for doing well at taking care of their teeth. Keep all of the above items in mind when looking for a kid-friendly oral health care practitioner. Spending a little time up front researching these items will help your child find someone they can trust their teeth with for years to come.