The first time your child has a tooth filled may seem like a terrifying experience to him or her. The best thing you can do to prepare your child is deal with it honestly with the help of your dentist and some preparation. The following guide will help you and your child prepare for his or her first filling.

Breaking The News

It is important to prepare your child for his or her appointment by walking them through the process without getting into the potentially negative details. The language you use can make the procedure seem scary if you use words like: drill or injection.

The following are some suggestions on how to talk to your child about the dental appointment; remember to stay calm because any fear or anxiety coming from you will affect your child.

• The dentist needs to catch some bad bugs hiding in your teeth.
• You and the dentist are going to make your teeth stronger and bug-free.
• Sugar bugs are trying to take over your teeth, and the dentist is going to stop them.

You should avoid scaring or blaming your child by saying that the cavities happened because he or she did not stop eating candy or something similar.

Questions You Need To Be Prepared For

Breaking the news about a cavity to your child may make him or her curious, and you should be prepared to answer questions about teeth and bacteria succinctly. What follows is basic information to help you in answering your child's questions. 

1. Cavities are caused by bacteria colonies that have eaten some tooth material away.
2. There will be a little pain, but the dentist should be able to numb the mouth so that might not be painful at all. Your dentist might opt to use laughing gas before using the needle, which will diminish any pain. Talk to your dentist about this before you tell your child.
3. The procedure takes around 15 minutes per tooth, unless the cavity is really deep in the tooth. Ask your dentist for your child's specific case to give him or her a better answer.

Remember to tell your dentist if your child seems nervous or anxious, as he or she has the training to help your child work through the anxiety.

Natural Anxiety-Buster

Yes, your child may still be anxious about their dentist appointment, even if you did your best to explain the situation.

You can do something to help him or her feel a little calmer before his or her appointment with lavender essential oil. Studies have shown that the linalool content in lavender lowers the physiological reaction of your nervous system to stimulation. All you have to do is have your child smell lavender before his or her appointment, and he or she should feel calmer.

As you can see, there a few things that you can do to help your child deal with his or her first filling. For more information, contact a professional like Ann L Ortega DDS.