Dental anxiety is common in children and adults and can be debilitating when you need dental or orthodontic work done. If your children have anxiety about braces, there are some tips you can use to help calm the stress that comes with orthodontic treatment.
Bailey Orthodontics helps to monitor your child’s progress even before they need braces. Our team has worked with children and adults with dental anxiety and offers emotional support through our friendly staff and emotional support dog.
1- Choose The Right Orthodontist
Helping your children feel comfortable with something new starts with finding someone who your child can trust and feels safe with. An orthodontist that knows and understands your child’s anxiety about braces will help them to work with the child on overcoming their fears.
Doing some research about different offices, what they offer, and how the orthodontists have treated other children can help. If your child is not feeling comfortable with their current orthodontist, don’t feel bad about choosing a new one. Expressing your concerns to the orthodontist will help them best treat your child, or understand what methods work best for your child’s needs.
2- Make Oral Hygiene A Habit At Home
Helping your child to understand the importance of oral hygiene will help them want to take care of their teeth. Encourage your child to brush their teeth twice a day, use fluoride, eat healthy snacks, and drink plenty of water.
Oral hygiene is always a good habit to have, before and after braces. Good oral hygiene can help eliminate anxiety about braces and more problems that can occur with your teeth. Preventing cavities and visiting a dentist for regular cleanings will help curb some anxiety in patients.
3- Bring Items Of Comfort To Your Appointment
Children often have items of comfort they love, like stuffed animals, toys, blankets, or books. Bringing these items to the appointment can help keep your children calm and alleviate anxiety about braces. Having an item from home can help remind them they are safe and that their fears are only temporary.
4- Talk To Others
If you are still looking for an orthodontist that will work with your child, try talking to friends or other people you are close with to recommend orthodontists they have worked with. Speaking to other people can help you get a real feel for how an orthodontist’s office works and how they make their patients feel.
5- Closely Monitor Their Progress
Monitoring a child’s teeth and oral health progress can help you identify problems before they take over your child’s life. This can also help you prepare for when they may be ready to start orthodontic treatment.
Bailey Orthodontics offers a 7 & Up Kids Club that can help children prevent cavities, monitor their alignment, and prepare them for when they may need braces. Getting familiar with our office over time will help limit anxiety about braces in children.
6- Set Realistic Expectations
Telling your children that orthodontic treatment will not be that painful or it won’t last that long is not going to help them overcome their fears. Helping to set realistic expectations and talking your child through what will occur at their appointments can be much more beneficial and help them feel better prepared for their treatment.
Once your child starts orthodontic treatment, talk to them about how appointments will go, how long you may be at the office, what the orthodontist will be doing, what foods they will have to eat, and some pain that they could experience during braces.
Trust Bailey Orthodontics
Our orthodontists want to help improve the smiles of all patients with the help of proper treatment. Getting regular dental checkups and seeking orthodontic treatment at the right time can help improve multiple aspects of your physical health. We are committed to being efficient with your time and money and helping you schedule appointments when it is best for you.
Our team provides a friendly office and helps patients with anxiety be able to experience a better smile. Visiting our practice brings health, safety, and smiles. Not only from our patients but from our office staff as well. Contact us to schedule your first appointment today!
