{"id":51,"date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westmaitlanddentistry.com\/back-to-school-means-back-to-the-dentist\/"},"modified":"2020-08-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T00:00:00","slug":"back-to-school-means-back-to-the-dentist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westmaitlanddentistry.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/17\/back-to-school-means-back-to-the-dentist\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to School Means Back to the Dentist"},"content":{"rendered":"

As your child goes back to school, make sure there are no distractions this year, such as teeth! \u00a0 Did you know that dental health could have a big impact <\/strong>in the classroom?\u00a0 One study points out that\u00a0unplanned dental care for children 5-17 equals 34 million school hours lost a year! \u00a0So now that we\u2019re back <\/strong>to school, help prevent those lost school hours by introducing your child to the dentist if you haven\u2019t already. \u00a0To help do so, here are some tips to make sure your child\u2019s dental visit is a pleasant one!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare<\/strong><\/p>\n

Role play:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0The week leading up to your child\u2019s first visit have fun with them by pretending to be at the dentist.\u00a0 You can act as the dentist and your child the patient. \u00a0Then have fun with it and switch the roles. \u00a0This gives your child a sense of control not to mention the giggles it creates! \u00a0Be sure to role play some common procedures your child will encounter.\u00a0\u00a0Some things to act out are: taking x-rays, having a dental exam, cleaning the teeth, using suction, flossing and putting on fluoride.<\/p>\n

Terminology:<\/strong><\/em> When you role play try using age appropriate words and descriptions.\u00a0 Some ways we explain common procedures are:<\/p>\n