Tame your and your little one’s fear of the dentist

Everyone would like to have the perfect, pearly white smile of a movie star, but the thought of an injection or root canal treatment causes many to run for the hills. But where does our fear of the dentist come from, and how can we prevent our children from inheriting (our) dentophobia?

Fears of the fathers

According to Dr Briers Uys, a dentist from Edenvale, the main reasons why people fear the dentist are:

• Fear of pain and anaesthesia based on an earlier experience,
• Being self-conscious about tooth decay and bad breath due to poor oral hygiene,
• A sense of loss of control because you are “at someone else’s mercy” and cannot see what is happening, and
• Fear that is passed down through generations.

Dr Uys believes the biggest cause of this fear is rooted in previous generations. “In the old days, a visit to the dentist wasn’t necessarily a walk in the park. Our parents and grandparents received visits from government dentists at school, and the technology was primitive (think noisy drills above the patient’s head that worked with giant machinery powered by the dentist’s foot).”

Conquer fear through example

“Treatment has improved drastically. It is no longer the frightening or painful experience it used to be. Unfortunately, the fear is still passed on from one generation to the next,” says Dr Uys.

He explains that parents are responsible for establishing healthy oral care habits in their children and making regular visits to the dentist a pleasant experience.

“The problem is that children’s first encounter with the dentist is usually when they already have cavities and experience toothache. The dentist is associated with pain, even before any treatment has been done,” says Dr Uys.

Prepare your little one

“Don’t wait until there’s a problem,” he says, giving the following tips.

• Have your child accompany you to your six-monthly dentist visits from age two or three to get them used to the dentist’s office.
• Take your child for their own appointment where the dentist only performs a routine examination, demonstrates how the dentist chair works, and gives tips for brushing correctly.
• Don’t hold your child’s hand or create negative expectations. Avoid saying things like, “just tell Mom if it hurts or if the doctor hurts you.”
• Keep yourself busy on your phone, page through a magazine, or chat with the dental assistant. The more at ease you are, the less stressful it will be for your child.

Baby steps, big consequences

According to Dr Uys, the importance of brushing, even milk teeth, shouldn’t be underestimated. “Milk teeth eventually make way for permanent teeth. Premature tooth loss (if children lose teeth too early due to tooth decay) causes permanent teeth to move into the wrong positions, resulting in expensive orthodontics later on.

“Too many sweets and fizzy drinks often cause tooth decay by age six when the first molars appear. Consequently, children have to get fillings at a very young age, which can cause a fear of the dentist.”

According to Dr Uys, your choice of toothpaste (with or without fluoride) is less important than cultivating healthy eating and oral health care habits. “The mechanical brushing action to remove plaque is vital. So is limiting your sugar intake, eating food rich in vitamins and minerals, and drinking plenty of water,” he says.

Don’t let fear, finances, or neglect keep you from going to the dentist. Let National Oral Health Month this September be the start of your journey to a healthier mouth and sparkling smile!