You just heard the dreaded words in (what felt like) slow motion—your child has a cavity. So what do you do next? And how do you prepare them for the drill?
Practice Calming Techniques
Be cool, confident, and positive. Having your first cavity filled can be stressful and scary, especially for a child. So we try to encourage our parents to make the entire day as calm and relaxing as possible.
We take every step to make sure all kids are comfortable at our office. Your child can look forward to laying back and watching a movie while we work on getting the sugar bugs out. At the end of the appointment, they’ll leave with a toy and a balloon!
Don’t Mention the Shot
Shots can be scary for anyone, but especially for a child. We don’t encourage parents to lie to their kids; however, there is a way you can frame the experience so it’s not so scary. A clever way of mentioning this and preparing them is saying that they will feel a “little pinch” and we will be “putting their tooth to sleep.”
Diet After Treatment
Some don’t realize that the mouth may be a bit sensitive for 2-3 hours afterward. So we ask the parents to ensure the child does not chew any hard or sticky foods. Soft foods like smoothies or soups are a good source of nutrition while their mouth heals.
Preventative Care
A cavity can be caused by several factors, such as lack of brushing and flossing, eating habits, lack of fluoride, the shape of teeth, parents’ dental history, and the overall chemistry and bacteria in the mouth.
While we can’t control all these factors, parents can focus on diet and dental hygiene. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that we brush our teeth twice daily. Flossing at least once a day is also an essential part of a good oral hygiene routine. Try to avoid sugary and starchy snacks. Replace these with fresh fruit and veggies. And keep your child’s routine dental check-ups on track. We encourage dental visits every six months.
About Our Guest Blogger
Dr. Lewis Cook is a dentist at EP Dentistry 4 Kids. He is a dad of three kids. EP Dentistry 4 Kids is proud to have been voted Best Dentist since 2016 and has been serving the El Paso Community with locations in West, East, and Northeast El Paso. Find EP Dentistry 4 Kids online at our website.
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