Preparing your child for the dental visit
Overview
Preparing your child for a dental visit can help reduce anxiety and make the experience more positive. Here are some strategies that parents have found helpful:
Practice through play
Encourage your child to practice opening their mouth wide like a lion in various situations. This can make them more comfortable with the action when it's time for the dental visit.
You could buy a dental mirror online or ask your dental practice if they can provide a plastic one to take home. Use this mirror to practice looking inside your child's mouth. You could also buy dental costumes and do pretend play or storytelling.
Think about other parts of the visit that might be challenging for your child. For example, can they handle being touched by someone wearing gloves? You can introduce this texture by using balloons or gloves blown up like a balloon. It might be helpful to practice touching their hands and arms with gloves before moving on to their mouth.
Practice opening mouth in different positions
Have your child practice opening their mouth while laying down on a bed or sofa. This can help them get into the position they will be in during the dental check.
Use social stories
Create or use social stories that explain what happens during a dental visit. These stories can provide specific details about the process and help your child understand what to expect. You could ask if you can take pictures of your dental practice and the dentist that they will see. Including what will happen after the dental visit can also be helpful. Find out more about social stories here.
Planning a treat or a preferred activity afterwards can give your child something to look forward to but be mindful that this is something that your child wants as often they may need time to ‘decompress after' and may prefer to do this in a safe space.
Watch videos or look at photographs
Some websites offer virtual tours of medical facilities, which can help familiarise your child with the environment before the visit. For example, AccessAble provides a building guide for some locations like hospitals. If your dental practice/hospital does not have one, consider asking if you can take a video before you attend with your child.
You can show your child videos and photographs of people going to the dentist. This visual exposure can help them become more familiar with the environment and procedures. Be wary of reliance on videos that are not of the child’s actual dentist. Some autistic children are not able to draw connections between their own dental practice and videos that appear online.
Visit the building
Take your child to visit the building where the dentist is located without going inside. This can help them get used to the journey and the setting and reduce anxiety about the unknown.
Watch again
Jump straight to what parents and early years professionals have said about going to the dentist.
