My daughter literally ran out of the dentist’s office screaming when I took her in for a check up. Now it looks like she has a cavity that needs to be dealt with. I honestly don’t know who to get her through the doors. Whenever I bring it up she goes crazy. I was there during her appointment, so nothing horrific happened, she just just got scared. have you ever dealth with a terrified child before?
Elizabeth H. – Georgetown, TN
Elizabeth,
It’s hard to know what can set a child off sometimes. They way they perceive things can sometimes be skewed. For all we know, someone at school told her the dentist was going to pull her teeth out. If she’s that afraid, you’ll need to get some positive experiences under her belt. That, however, doesn’t help you with the immediate problem of dealing with her cavity. You don’t want to put off treatment for that, because it will put her health at risk. It can turn into an abscess fairly quickly.
Have you spoken with your daughter’s dentist about the possibility of using sedation dentistry. She’ll be a little loopy, but will be completely relaxed during the full duration of her appointment. This will enable the dentist to get the work done that is necessary, while allowing your daughter to be stress free.
After that, I would sit with your daughter and try to figure out what frightened her. Maybe your dentist will allow a practice appointment, where she can just sit in the chair, learn about the instruments and get to ask any questions she has about the procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.
