Make your child’s dental visit a special treat.

We Make Kids Smile isn’t just our name; it’s a philosophy we’re committed to, especially when it comes to a child’s dental visit. We want kids to be excited about visiting the dentist and learning more about good oral hygiene. Healthy teeth and gums are important for good health, and we want kids to feel comfortable and safe getting dental care. If we can help make your child more comfortable during their visit, give us a call so we can discuss your options.

Helping kids become more comfortable with dental care starts with you. When you make your child’s dental trip a special event, they will be more likely to be happy about it. You can use these tried and true ways to make dental visits special, or you can use them as inspirations to come up with your own unique ideas.

Make dentist day a parent-child day.

Spending time with you is enough to make any day a special day for your child. But if you want to make your child’s dentist visit special, you can make the day of the appointment a day for the two of you to spend time together. Let them stay home from school or sign them out for the morning or afternoon. After their dental appointment, go to the park and play or just hang out and talk. You can start a family tradition of dentist appointment day being a special parent/child date day so your kids will look forward to it.

Combine your child’s dental visit with another activity they enjoy.

Another way to make a child’s dental visit special is to combine the appointment with another activity they really enjoy. Maybe you could go for a horseback ride after the appointment or go to a movie, just the two of you. Roller skating, taking a hike, or going to get a special treat are good options too. By combining your child’s dental visit with something they really like to do, you’re creating an association between something that’s really fun and something that might not be so exciting, like going to the dentist. This can help your child look forward to their dental appointments because they’ll know something fun is coming up afterward.

Make thank you cards or artwork for the dentist and/or their team.

Kids love making crafts, and our dentist and team members love to get cards and pictures. You may have seen some of our favorites hanging up in the office. Your child’s artwork could be up there too! During creative or art time, encourage your child to draw a picture  or make some other kind of artwork for the dentist and their team so they can give it out when they come for a checkup.

Make a “no treatment” appointment.

Sometimes kids are a little apprehensive about going to the dentist because it’s new and they aren’t sure what to expect. A great way to make kids more comfortable at the dentist’s office is to schedule a “no treatment” appointment.

During this kind of appointment, your child will get the chance to talk to the dentist and the hygienist and ask questions, learn about dental treatment and their teeth, and be introduced to different kinds of dental tools. Kids are often fascinated by dental tools, and once they learn more about what the dentist does, they can’t wait to come back to get their teeth examined.

Let your children watch a special movie or TV show after their appointment.

Is there a movie or TV show your child loves that you don’t let them watch often? If you allow them to watch that movie or show after a dental appointment, they will love going knowing that they will be able to watch that show or movie afterward. Or you could play a special video game with them.

Let them pick a wacky outfit.

This works better with smaller children since older children are used to picking their own clothes, but when you’re taking your young child to the dentist. encourage them to pick their own wacky outfit. Get out the dress-up bag and let them put together an outfit that includes a wig, beaded hair accessories, or even clip-in hair color swatches. Let them get as wacky as they want. We would love to see the outfits they come up with!

Make a smile chart that rewards them for good oral hygiene habits.

Your kids probably have a chore chart that rewards them for completing their chores on time. You can use that concept to make a smile chart. Give your child a set number of points every day they brush and floss their teeth. Add your child’s dental visits to the chart with point values for things like not having cavities. Make their dental visit worth a lot of points, and they will certainly be excited to see the dentist and collect the points so they can redeem them for something they really want.

Healthy habits start now.

Making your child’s dental visit special will make dental care something your child enjoys and looks forward to. As they grow, they will continue to make healthy teeth and gums a priority because you took the time to make dental visits special and important for them now. Call us today to find out more about how we can help your children have happy and healthy smiles for life.