Use photos Using photos can bring the child’s understanding about a dental visit to life over their own imagination. Start by helping your child understand to understand why it’s important to visit the dentist, which is to help maintain healthy teeth and gums. Draw images or view pictures to give a more detailed understanding. Watch videos Along with photos, you can use educational videos about dentists to help them better understand the role a dentist plays and why it’s an important part of their dental care routine. Be sure to review the videos beforehand to make sure the videos do not offer any graphic or frightening shots. Role-playing Pretend to be a dentist, and have your child be the patient. This allows an excellent opportunity to involve your child in the dental experience and review their oral care routine as well as showing them the correct brushing and flossing techniques. Bring your child with you to your dental appointments Bringing your child with you to your dental appointments to let them become familiar with the surroundings and staff to make them more comfortable for their visit. Prepare your child at home for the dental visit It helps to talk to your child about the dental visit and what to expect during their appointment. Let them ask any questions and answer them as well as you can. Time it well Children tend to have cranky times and better times throughout the day. Schedule the appointment when you know your child will be the happiest and relaxed. Avoid taking them to the dentist when they are tired or hungry. Stay positive Staying positive will help to keep your child happy and relaxed throughout the dental appointment. Be sure to treat the visit as a positive experience, this will help to give them a better attitude towards the dentist. If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please feel free to do so through our website or by calling us. We serve patients from Mountain View CA, Sunnyvale CA, Los Altos CA, Stanford CA, Menlo Park CA, Atherton CA, Loyola CA, Cupertino CA, Palo Alto CA, Redwood City CA and surrounding areas.