It can be frustrating to have to take your child to the dentist only to have your child throw a fit because he or she is scared. There is a plethora of modern media that does not portray dentists in a particularly positive light and it can be difficult for children to overcome what they've seen on TV. As a result, you are going to need to make sure that you take action to keep your kids calm so that their dentist appointments can go as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips.

1. Use Positive Phrases or Use the Same Phrases That the Dentists Use When Describing What They're Doing to Your Child's Teeth

The first thing that you are going to want to do is avoid using any sort of negative words to describe what your child is going to experience when he or she is at the dentist's office. A pediatric dentist will often have his or her own lingo that you can utilize in order to make your child feel safe in the dentist's chair. For example, if your child asks why the dentist is scraping his or her teeth, you can tell your child that the dentist is making his or her smile shinier or is looking for sugar monsters and is going to poke them so that they leave. These are simple terms that frame what the dentist is doing in a very positive light. If you start using these terms a few weeks before the appointment and continue using them through the 

2. Put On a TV Show

Another possible option is to find a pediatric dentist that has televisions installed above each chair. Many dentists will allow their patients to put in a movie or a TV show in order to distract the younger patients and make the checkup go more smoothly. If your dentist doesn't have a television, consider asking the dentist ahead of time if he or she would be amenable to having you hold a tablet or laptop playing your child's favorite show nearby.

3. Put in Headphones

The noises in the dentist's office can be scary to many children and can trigger the majority of anxiety that a child might feel. In order to minimize this, you can simply grab a pair of headphones and plug them into your phone. Have your child listen to an appropriate album on your phone for the duration of the visit. Make sure that the headphones are loose enough to allow your child to hear the dentist if he or she needs to give any instructions.

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