Top 5 Ways to Make Pediatric Dentistry More Fun
The dentist can be a scary place for a kid, but there are a few ways to make the experience more fun and comfortable for every pediatric patient.
Soothing pediatric patients and their parents at the dentist can always be a challenge, especially when a lot of technology and equipment can be intimidating to the little ones. That’s why it’s important to be equipped with the tools and products to help kids feel more comfortable at the dentist. Also, a positive experience at the dentist as a child may encourage better oral health as they get older. Here are just a few ways to make pediatric patients feel more comfortable at the dentist.
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1. Smaller Equipment
As technology improves, so too does its design and application. With sensors and X-rays what was once big and bulky can now be streamlined and sleek. As part of this, smaller x-ray sensors such as the Clio Pedo from SOTA Imaging can be better suited for pediatric patients. Instead of being faced with a giant x-ray sensor machine that looks like something out of a science fiction movie, kids can find comfort in a product designed specifically for them.
2. Fun Fluoride Varnish & Toothpaste Flavors
When you’re a kid, the best part of going to the dentist is getting your ‘goody-bag’ at the end of the appointment. The second-best part is picking which flavor fluoride varnish you got. Having more fun flavors like orange cream, bubble gum, caramel, and the classic mint, puts the power in pediatric patients’ hands when choosing their fluoride varnish of choice.To top it off, when arranging the goody-bag, it may be worthwhile to have a few different flavors of kid’s toothpaste available. This is just another step in empowering kids to take care of their teeth starting at an early age.
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3. A Calm Office Environment
Your dental practice doesn’t need to have colorful walls and stuffed animals everywhere to welcome pediatric patients. While it may be fun to look at, if that’s not an investment you can make for your practice, you can always start small with TV monitors for long procedures, soothing paintings, and maybe a helpful plushie or 2 to soothe anxious kids. Going to the dentist, or any doctor for that matter, can be intimidating when you’re tiny, but having small comforts can go a long way in making kids feel better and more comfortable at the dentist.
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4. Early Caries Detection
The last thing any kid, or parent, want to hear is that they have a cavity. There is nothing like the stomach-dropping sentiment that they’ll need a filling, a procedure that many kids find awful just based on the scary Novocain needle. The good news is that there are a variety of tools out there that can assist in early caries detection, and eventually cavity prevention. Products like the LumiCare Caries Detection Rinse from GreenMark are a simple and effective tool in finding early caries in patients’ mouths. Other tools, like this one recently developed at the University of Washington, can trace biofilm acidity to check for potential problem areas. Hopefully, with time, these innovations can be used in a widespread way that makes caries detection easy for pediatric patients.
5. Communication
Every patient deserves respect and openness, and pediatric patients are no exception. Like anyone else, kids like to know what’s going on when they go to the dentist or doctor. Communicating in a calm and concise manner can make all the difference when dealing with pediatric patients. It doesn’t have to be ultra-detailed or in-depth, but a brief overview of what’s going on, what the patient can expect, and what you are doing to help them, can go a long way. It’s also great to answer questions that pediatric patients may have about what’s going on. Later down the line, the kid patient will remember the dentist who respected them and answered all of their questions about their treatment/procedure and will be more inclined to keep up with their oral health in the future.
