Three Points To Make When Discussing Dental Sealants With Your Child

Many pediatric dentists highly recommend dental sealants for children, which means that this may be a procedure that you arrange for your son or daughter. Some children can be tentative about visiting the dentist, and this can especially be true when you inform your child that he or she will be having a "procedure" done. To make life easier for your child, you, and the dentist, it's helpful if you can talk to your child a bit about dental sealants in advance of the appointment. Here are some points that you'll want to make.

The Dentist Cleans The Tooth Really Well

Even young children can understand the concept of clean, so inform your child that the first step in the sealant process is that the dentist will clean the tooth really well. This should be good news for the child, who may be excited about having clean teeth. Remind the child that cleaning the tooth won't hurt in the slightest, and that cleaning it will protect it to help the child have a big and bright smile into the future. Beginning your talk about dental sealants in this manner can get the discussion started on a good note.

The Dentist Uses A Bright Light

Dentists use lights to quickly harden the sealant after brushing it onto the tooth. The use of the light speeds up the procedure. When you're discussing this topic with your child, make reference to the light so that he or she is familiar with it. You can talk about the light by saying that it's a special light, that it emits an important type of illumination, and so on. It's common for patients to wear sunglasses when dentists use this light, so make it a point to tell your child that he or she may get to wear special sunglasses for this procedure, which can help make it fun.

The Dentist Works Quickly

Some children will be tentative about lengthy dental procedures, especially if they've perhaps heard you or your spouse talking anxiously about your own dental work in the past. Make sure that your child understands that the application of dental sealants is a quick process. You may even want to tell your child that the dentist works so quickly that he or she will be done before your child knows it. By having this conversation a few times, making sure to hit each one of these talking points, this dental visit can go more smoothly for your child.

For more information about preparing children for dental procedures, contact Brookside Dental Associates.

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