When treating children, we recognize that children are not “small adults” and that they require a different approach to care vs. that which we take with our adult patients. The goal of any pediatric visit is to treat the child’s dental needs, but an equally important goal is for the child to have as pleasant a visit as possible. We provide an array of children’s dental services including exams, cleanings, Fluoride treatment, fillings and extractions where indicated.
Of the many management techniques we have for working with children, “Tell, Show, Do” is one of the most common. In this technique, we (a) tell the child what we are going to do (at the child’s level), (b) we show the child what we are going to do (c) and then we do the procedure. In this manner, we minimize the child’s fear of the unknown, and we help reinforce their feelings of knowing what is occurring with their treatment (again – at a child’s level).
Another manner in which we help make dental visits for children more positive is by using special vocabulary. For example, we don’t use the word “needle” and we try to avoid the words “hurt” and “pain.” As a parent, we ask that you do not tell you child that “it will hurt at the dentist unless you behave” or “be good or it will hurt.” Doing so stirs a child’s anxiety, and we want to work with the child to manage their fear and help them get through the appointment quickly and easily.
