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DENTAL CARE – Who’s Afraid To Go?

by By Vickie J. Scanlon

When is a good time to introduce your child to a dentist? I would strongly suggest that you introduce your children to a dentist before they had any problems with their teeth. You want them to start out with a positive experience – thus, lessening the possibility of any dentist phobias. Go ahead and laugh – I’m one of those people who developed an early fear of dentists.

My First Experience

I was very young, and one of my baby teeth became abscessed – not a pleasant feeling. Anyway, it was my father’s duty to take me to the dentist. In the dentist office, I was told to swish some strong, green liquid in my mouth and spit it out. I was to do that until all the liquid in the glass was gone – then go back to the dentist chair and sit down.

I, being the obedient child, did as I was told. I swished and spit, and once done, climbed into the dentist chair. I did not have a clue of what was going to happen next, until of course, the dentist told me to open my mouth and began to pull my tooth out. Low and behold, the green liquid I had swished in my mouth was the antiseptic! Well, surprise, surprise – it didn’t work!

With my father holding me down in the chair, I felt every pain, heard every grinding sound – and the experience remained alive and strong in my memory—a memory that followed me throughout my childhood and into adulthood.

After that experience, my love for the dentist and the very sound of a drill would put me into a panic. No matter how I rationalized it, no matter how much I told myself how stupid I was for feeling the fear – it would not go away.

My Experience As An Adult

It took me a long time to overcome my fear of dentists. I finally found a dentist who I could talk too, and say, “Hey, this is the experience I had – this is the fear I have – can I trust you not to hurt me.” Well, my dentist understood my fears – and I’m happy to say that I felt that if he could calm my fears I could trust him with my young boys.

When To Take Your Children To The Dentist?

When do you take your children to the dentist? Before they have any cavities or any other ugly problems. Take your children to the dentist to have their teeth cleaned and looked at – let the comfort level build between your child and your dentist. So when there are any problems with their teeth – they know the dentist won’t hurt them.

That is what I did for my children. I set them up with my dentist before they had any problems. I did not want them to have the same fears that I had. And it seemed to have worked.

If you don’t have dental insurance, look into discount dental insurance, such as DentalPlans – you can choose a plan that meets your budget – and in most cases the cleanings are free. You can take a look at Dental Plans at http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz/Affiliate_mydentalwebsite.htm. And if you have dental insurance, and you have children, give them a positive experience to remember – it will make the next visit to the dentist an everyday occurrence, instead of a stressful visit to hell.

 

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