A Dentist's Point of View

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WHAT NOT TO SAY WHEN I'M TREATING YOUR CHILD
Excerpt adapted from an article in "NYSDA News" by a dentist.

It is so very easy for parents to hinder the rapport that we are trying to establish with their children. An ill-considered comment by a parent can completely destroy the relaxed mood that we attempt to create. So please don’t say any of the following: 

1“Don’t worry, he’s not going to do anything today.” Until you said that, it may never have occurred to the child that he, in fact, should worry. And do you realize that by telling the child not to worry because I am “not going to do anything”, it implies that if I ever have to actually “do something,” it should be a legitimate cause for very real and tangible worry?
2“He wants you to open your mouth.” No need to translate our request unless it’s in a different language. By you speaking up, you break the spell; the child instead of being focused on us and listening to our voice, focuses instead on you.
3“Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you!” Is it you and the child united against the big, bad dentist?  Instead teach your child that you and the dental team are partners. And that we can be trusted to take good care of the child.
4“Have you ever done a procedure like this before?” No, I never have. But I did review that chapter in the dental textbook last night.
5“Are you giving him a shot?” When we tell your child that we are putting “sleepy water” on the tooth, we are not trying to be silly.  We chose our words carefully, because we realize (and so should you) that the spoken word has a powerful effect. So, humor us and play along with us when we clean (not “drill”) or wiggle (not “pull out”) a tooth.
6“Is this going to hurt a lot?” A comment like this just doesn’t help to create a relaxing atmosphere for your child.
7"I told you not to eat candy! It’s your fault that this is going to hurt!” Again, that doesn’t help relax the child. Do you really want him to feel that our treatment is a punishment? And, by the way, since your child doesn’t have an independent source of income for purchasing candy, we tend to blame his supplier (you!). But, hey, no judgments. :-)


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