Preparing your kids for their dentist appointment can be a huge event sometimes. It's even harder for you to prepare your child for their appointment if they're special needs. If you're a parent of a special needs child, you know how important their routine is to them and you also know how much of a nightmare it can be to disrupt that daily routine. Here are a few tips to help your next appointment go much smoother:
Put it on the Calendar and Remind Them Every Day
If your child is old enough to read and understand the concept of time, try adding it to a calendar that is visible for them and able to be accessed every day. Remind them every day of the upcoming appointment so when the day itself comes, they're a bit more prepared for a disruption in their day.
Give Them as Much Information as You Can
Help your child understand the ins and outs of the visit as best they can far in advance. When you remind them about their upcoming appointment, start talking to them about what the experience will be like. What will the building look like? Who will be the first person they see when they walk in? What will the waiting room look like? What toys will be available for them to play with while they wait? What will the cleaning entail? What is the name of their dentist? Break it down for them step by step so they have a good understanding of what to expect.
Have a "Pretend Visit" Prior to the Visit Itself
Take it a step further when you talk to them about the optics of their visit by playing it out together. Help them get comfortable with the idea of tools inside of their mouth or how cold the chair might be. Walk them through the process and make it fun so by the time they actually get to the dentist, they'll feel like they've done this 100 times already.
The key is to embrace the change in routine and give them all of the information and tools they need to understand what's going on. Oftentimes, special needs children have adverse reactions to a disruption simply because they don't understand what's going on. We specialize in working with special needs kids because we understand how unnerving the experience can be and we want to provide you, the parent, a resource so that this routine appointment is less challenging on your and your little one. For more information or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (425) 329-6267!
