For children, visiting a dentist for the very first time can be an uncomfortable experience. After all, not only are their parents taking them to an unknown place but they’re then being forced to sit in a chair while a stranger makes them open their mouth and peers as well as pokes around in it.

If you look at it from their perspective, it is completely understandable if your child feels scared when visiting a dentist for the first time. And unfortunately that early fear can leave a psychological scar that makes them resistant to future trips too.

That is the reason why it is important that you take steps to prepare your child for their first visit to the dentist. And if you want to know how you can alleviate their fears and leave a good first impression of visits to the dentist, here’s what you should do:

• Be positive and get excited

Children are sensitive and perceptive to the behavior of people around them, so you want to be positive about your first visit to the dentist. Frame it as a fun trip that they should be excited about, and avoid telling them not to be scared or reassuring them that it won’t hurt because that could have the opposite result.

• Find a good pediatric dentist

Instead of taking your child to the same dentist that you go to, it would be best to find a good pediatric London dentist located in Liverpool Street or somewhere else nearby. Because of their experience handling kids they’ll probably be better at reassuring them and helping to make the first appointment smooth and enjoyable for your child.

• Tell your child about the appointment on the same day

Don’t jump the gun and tell your child about the appointment too far in advance as it can make them wary and lets their imagination run wild. Instead you should tell them about it on the same day and explain that they’re going to visit a nice tooth doctor who’ll count their teeth and show them how to keep them healthy and strong.

• Watch videos or read books about going to the dentist

Nowadays there are lots of fun videos for kids about going to the dentist on YouTube, and there are tons of great books too. Find one that you think your child will enjoy and that shows characters having fun at the dentist to give them a positive impression about the trip.

• Play dentist games

Dentist games can help kids to learn about what dentists do and show them it isn’t that scary. Either you can pretend to be the dentist and check your kids teeth, or you and your child can be dentists checking on the teeth of stuffed animals.

See how you can prepare your kid in advance and take steps to ensure that their first visit isn’t all that scary? If you follow these tips your kid may even look forward to their dental appointments in the future.