How can children overcome dental anxiety?

The first and most important step in helping your child overcome dental anxiety is to develop a trusting relationship with a pediatric dentist. By communicating, the dental team will be able to help your child address and manage their concerns.

Dental anxiety in children

Many children experience dental anxiety. Dental anxiety is a real problem, and if you or your child suffer from it, you know how worrying it can be. Our goal is to explain the source of this fear and provide tools to help your family cope.

What is dental anxiety?

Dental anxiety is a state of nervousness or fear caused by the thought of an impending dental appointment. Some also call this condition “fear of dentistry” or “dental phobia”. Odontophobia means “fear of the dentist” and is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). They estimate that fifteen to twenty percent of the child population suffers from dental phobia or anxiety.

In children, symptoms of dental anxiety can be seen as early as age 5 and can vary in severity. Studies have shown that 10% of children and adolescents experience severe dental phobia. A child with a mild fear may feel nervous, excited, or show some signs of stress when going to the dentist. Children with more severe phobias may throw tantrums or make themselves sick to avoid the dentist altogether.

The cause of children’s anxiety about dentistry

Dental anxiety can affect anyone, but children are especially susceptible. Most adults with high anxiety symptoms can trace their origins back to childhood, and parents who suffer from dental anxiety are more likely to pass that discomfort on to their children.

• Bad experiences in the past

When a child has a negative experience with a dentist, it can often affect their view of any dentist, assuming that all future encounters will be similar. Your child may associate a general cleaning session with discomfort, toothache, or loud, scary sounds rather than the positive benefits of clean, healthy teeth and gums. If you notice that your child has had a poor experience after a recent dental visit, it is important to understand the source of their anxiety and discuss these concerns with your dental team.

• Poor hygiene or additional dental treatment

Young patients who have struggled with proper brushing techniques may feel self-conscious before a dental exam. Imagining a poor report of the dentist, especially in comparison to a sibling, can cause embarrassment or fear of retribution. If a cleaning leads to a recommendation for a filling or other major dental treatment, it’s understandable for anyone to feel significant anxiety.

It is completely normal for children to miss brushing their teeth. If your child is struggling with oral hygiene, learn here how to help them brush and floss properly.

• lack of understanding

Children are often afraid of new experiences, and the sights and sounds of the dental office can be frightening. Some dental treatments can be confusing to understand, even for adults, but as we age, it often becomes easier to ask questions until we understand the process. Consider this when talking to your child about an upcoming date. Be careful to use words that reinforce the importance of healthy, strong teeth and a beautiful smile. The advantage of taking your child to the Raya Day Clinic pediatric dentist is that our team is specially trained to explain these complex procedures in a way that makes children comfortable during treatment.

What are the signs and symptoms of dental anxiety?

Parents whose children suffer from dental anxiety can often miss subtle warning signs. These manifestations can vary from person to person, but your child is likely to experience one or more of the following:

• Restlessness or trouble sleeping the night before a dental visit
• Crying or feeling upset before, during, or after a dental appointment
• Flushing of the cheeks or sweating
• Feeling grumpy or easily irritated
• Fainting or dizziness
• Constantly feeling sick, hoping to cancel dental appointments at the last minute

Why is dental anxiety treatment necessary?

The biggest problem with dental anxiety is that it often causes people to avoid essential dental care. This can create a vicious cycle as your child grows into adulthood. Avoiding the dentist only increases anxiety, and increased anxiety leads to further avoidance of necessary care. The longer someone goes without dental care, the worse their oral health will be. Worsening dental conditions increase dental fears due to the knowledge that worsening disease requires more extensive treatment, thus increasing dental anxiety.

In addition to worsening oral health, staying away from the dentist makes your child less familiar with the sights, sounds, and other sensations of a dental visit and worsens fear of the unknown. The longer you are away, the scarier any dental procedure becomes in a young person’s mind and the more difficult it is to return to the dentist in Windsor.

We hope it is encouraging to know that most children with dental anxiety will overcome this fear as they get older and continue to have positive experiences. If you try to increase your child’s comfort level with the dentist when they are young, many of the symptoms of dental anxiety will go away by adulthood.

Eliminate fear by taking your child to the dentist early. Use your child’s first visit to get comfortable with your dental team and discuss any concerns.