Having a fear of the dentist is something that many people face, especially young children. This is not a problem unless it is starting to get in the way of making sure that they are receiving the best possible dental care. Either way, you want to do what you can to help ease the fears that your child is facing so he or she will willingly go to all appointments and will not grow up to hate the dentist. Check out the following helpful tips to get you started.

Play Dentist At Home

Set up a pretend dentist office in your living room or playroom. Allow your child to pretend to be the dentist. Give your child a clean toothbrush and a mini flashlight and allow him or her to investigate your mouth. Tell your child to count how many teeth you have and to determine whether it looks as though you have been doing a good job brushing your teeth. After your child has finished playing the part of the dentist, you can switch roles. Allowing your child to sit in the pretend dentist chair will help him or her mentally prepare for the next visit to the real dentist.

Make It A Game

Tell your child that going to the dentist is like giving yourself the chance to win something. For example, if the dentist says that there are no cavities and that they have been brushing their teeth very well, they win a prize. The prize does not have to be anything super expensive or big. Just making a game out of it so that your child can win is all you need to give him or her that little bit of motivation that is needed.

Visit The Dentist Office In Advance

Visiting the dentist office for the first time when they have to have their teeth poked at can be a scary thing. Therefore, you might want to give the dental office a call to see if your child can get a tour of the office, sit in the dental exam chair, and even meet the dentist before the day of the appointment. This will help ease your child's fear when the big day comes because it is no longer a scary place that he or she has never been to before.

With these tips in mind, you should find that it is easy enough to help ease the fears your child is having regarding the dentist. (For more information, contact a company such as Bruggeman Dental)