Taking Your Kid To The Dentist? What To Know About Sitting With Them

Does your young child have an upcoming dental visit scheduled? If so, you may be wondering if you should actually sit next to them while they are in the chair having their teeth inspected. Having a parent in the room may cause the appointment to go smoothly, or may cause it to go horribly. Here are some things to consider if you should do this or not.

Will Your Child Listen To An Authority Figure?

The first thing you should ask yourself is if your child is likely to listen to an authority figure if they are left alone with them. Are they the type of student that will listen to their teacher, or are they often distracted and not following directions. If they tend to listen to adults, you may be better off letting the child go back and be with the dentist alone. Your child will be more likely to listen to what the dentist is saying and go along with things without protesting.

Does Your Child Listen To You Well?

Another thing to consider is if your child listens to you better as their parent. Sometimes it does take having the parent in the room in order for your child to listen to what they need to do. If your child often does not listen to the parents of their friend when they are over for play date, but will suddenly listen when you are around, you know that your child will benefit simply from you being there.

Will Being There Help Your Child Be Brave?

It is not uncommon for a child to ask for their mom or dad while they are alone with the dentist in the dental chair. Your child may need you to be there to hold their hand and help them be brave since they find it comforting to know that you are there.

Has Your Child Been To The Dentist Before?

If this is your child's very first dental appointment, they may need some extra help the very first time that they go. Once they know the situation and what happens at the dentist, you'll find that they do much better alone during future appointments. For some children, it is simply the fear of the unknown where they need a little extra help getting through it.

Speak with a pediatric dental clinic if you need help deciding if you should sit with your child in the room for their dental appointment, or let them go on their own.