Some kids don’t have the best time at the dentist. But when anxiety makes it impossible to treat them, you have a big problem on your hands.

If your child cries, clings, or flat-out refuses at the mention of a dental checkup, you’re in good company: research suggests that roughly 3 in 10 young children experience some degree of dental fear.

If your kid is struggling with dental anxiety, this guide is here to help you.

What can you do?

The best way to help a child with dental anxiety is to prepare them early and positively:

• Talk about the visit in simple terms
• Read books or play pretend dentist at home
• Schedule morning appointments
• Let the dental team take the lead in the chair

With patience and the right approach, most children outgrow their fear of the dentist.

The good news is that dental anxiety responds remarkably well to preparation, and most of the work happens before you ever leave the house.

Why are kids scared of the dentist?

As parents, understanding the reason behind this fear makes it easier to address and to be present for our kids. The most common reasons and causes for dental anxiety in children are:

• Fear of the unknown: An unfamiliar place, strange sounds and smells, and a stranger looking into their mouth is a lot for a small child to process.
• Borrowed fear: Kids who overhear adults describe dental visits as painful or scary absorb that script before they’ve formed their own.
• A previous bad experience: A child who has already had a toothache or a difficult procedure may brace for a repeat.
• Separation worries: This happens especially with toddlers, as being asked to sit alone in a big chair can feel like the scariest part of the visit.
• Your own anxiety: Believe it or not, children pick up on a parent’s tension in the waiting room. If you dread the dentist, your child likely knows.

How do I prepare an anxious child for a dental visit?

Preparation at home does more to reduce dental anxiety than anything that happens in the office. Here are nine strategies that work.

1. Keep explanations simple and positive

Say the dentist will “count your teeth and make them sparkly clean.”

Avoid detailed play-by-plays that give imagination room to run.

2. Never use scary words (even to deny them)

Words like hurt, shot, drill, and pain plant ideas that weren’t there.

Also, skip the well-meaning “don’t worry, it won’t hurt”, as kids hear only the last two words.

3. Play pretend dentist

Take turns counting each other’s teeth with a toothbrush and a mirror. Familiar games make the real chair feel like a rerun.

4. Read books and watch shows about the dentist

Many children’s favorites — from Peppa Pig to Daniel Tiger — have dentist episodes and books that normalize the visit. If you feel okay to watch a few episodes together and explain what happens with your kids, this is an excellent resource.

5. Book a morning appointment

Well-rested, fed kids cope better. Avoid squeezing the visit between school and practice, when everyone’s patience is thin.

6. Arrive early, not just on time

Arriving rushed can spike everyone’s stress. A few calm minutes in the waiting room let your child acclimate.

7. Bring a comfort item

A stuffed animal or small toy from home gives your child something familiar to hold onto, literally.

8. Stay calm and let the team lead

Answer your child’s questions honestly but briefly, and let the dental team explain the details. Remember: they do this all day, every day.

9. Celebrate effort, not survival

Afterward, praise the specific brave things your child did (“You opened so wide!”).

Avoid framing rewards as compensation for surviving something awful.

What do pediatric dentists do for anxious kids?

Pediatric dentists train for 2 to 3 extra years beyond dental school, and much of that training is about child psychology and behavior.

In the chair, they use proven comfort techniques:

• Tell-show-do: The dentist explains each step in kid-friendly words, demonstrates it on a finger or a stuffed animal, then does it. Predictability is the antidote to fear, and research consistently ranks tell-show-do among the most effective anxiety-reduction techniques in pediatric dentistry.
• Distraction: Ceiling TVs, music, storytelling, and counting games keep young minds busy while hands work.
• Stop signals: Simple “raise your hand if you need a break” signals return a sense of control to the child.
• Gradual exposure: Short, easy first visits (a ride in the chair, a quick look, a new toothbrush) build trust before any real treatment is needed.
• Comfort aids when needed: For children with severe anxiety or extensive treatment needs, options like nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can help.

Ask your dentist what they offer and when they recommend it.

When is dental anxiety a bigger problem?

Most dental fear fades with age and positive visits.

However, you need to talk to your pediatric dentist or pediatrician if your child’s anxiety is severe enough to:

• Prevent care entirely
• Involve panic reactions (vomiting, night terrors before visits)
• Fit a wider pattern of intense fears in other settings

Children with autism or sensory processing differences may also benefit from extra accommodations, and many pediatric offices offer quieter rooms, weighted blankets, or desensitization visits.

You only need to ask.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about dental anxiety in children.

Should I stay with my child during the appointment?

For toddlers and very anxious kids, yes, most pediatric dentists welcome a parent in the room, especially at first. As children grow more confident, stepping back (or out) often helps them build independence.

Follow the dental team’s lead; they’ll suggest what works best for your child’s age and temperament.

What if my child cries or refuses to open their mouth?

Stay calm — pediatric teams see this daily and won’t judge you or your child. Often the dentist will slow down, switch to a game, or simply do less that day. A short, incomplete, positive visit beats a complete, traumatic one, because it keeps the door open for next time.

At what age should I start dental visits to prevent anxiety?

By the first birthday, per the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Children who start visits early treat the dental office as a normal part of life, which is the strongest known protection against the development of dental fear later.

Is it okay to bribe my child to go to the dentist?

Small rewards are fine; big bribes can backfire. A sticker or a trip to the park says “I’m proud of you.” An extravagant payoff says, “this must be really bad.”

Keep rewards low-key and focused on effort rather than on getting through an ordeal.

A calmer visit starts at home

Dental anxiety is common, normal, and very fixable. You, as an adult, might have it without realizing it. However, if you prepare with simple words and playful practice, time the appointment well, keep your own nerves in check, and let the dental team do what they are trained to do, you will likely be successful after a few attempts.

Every calm visit builds on the last.. A child who learns that the dentist is safe will become an adult who never skips a checkup.

Sources:

• NIH: How Can We Reduce Dental Fear in Children? The Importance of the First Dental Visit
• NIH: Impact of tell show do and audio-visual distraction techniques on pediatric dental anxiety: A comparative study

How did the Tooth Fairy hype begin?

Where does she come from? According to an article by Salon Magazine’s Michael Hingston, the tooth fairy is only 88 years old. But every culture has a tradition going back thousands of years built around the loss of children’s teeth. Middle Eastern cultures offer their teeth to the sun by throwing their teeth up in the air, while some Asian cultures believe that by throwing their lower teeth on the roof and their upper teeth on the floor (or under) they can ensure healthy tooth growth.

In many European cultures, teeth are offered to a mouse or rat so that children’s adult teeth will grow to become as strong as the teeth of a rodent. In Spain and other Spanish speaking countries they call the mouse Ratóncito Pérez who exchanges the tooth for a gift. The list goes on and on.

In the US, we started the tooth fairy tradition in 1927 by mixing the figure of the mouse that exchanges the tooth for a gift with the much more pleasing form of the good natured fairy from European stories. And instead of leaving gifts, we leave money.

Tips for Making the Tooth Fairy More Fun

Just having your children put their teeth under the pillow every time they lose their tooth can get repetitive and boring. Help make their transition into a “big kid” extra special. Here are some ways you can help your child feel more engaged and keep the magic alive with these great, yet inexpensive tooth fairy ideas.

Proof of Purchase

Certificates of good healthy teeth can help your child keep their teeth clean enough for the tooth fairy. These certificates can include the child’s name, date of tooth loss, method of tooth loss, and how much the child received in return for the tooth. Receipts are also a cute keepsake for the tooth. You can make these from scratch from Pinterest templates or print them out. My favorite printable Tooth Fairy receipt is from Oh My Gluestick because it includes a checkbox for quality of tooth. Both the certificates and receipts can be a great addition to your child’s scrapbook.

Caught in the Act

Icaughtthetoothfairy.com is a fun service that provides photographic “evidence” of the tooth fairy. Just upload a picture of your sleeping child to the site and they’ll put an image of the tooth fairy caught in the act of taking the tooth. Leave it by your kid’s bed or give it to them at breakfast. They’ll be so excited to show off their amazing photo with the tooth fairy and make their friends jealous.

Tooth Box or Pillow or Jar

If your child is a light sleeper, having them put their tooth under the pillow may be a bad idea. Instead, make a special box out of cardboard or wood and have your kid decorate it however they want. This lets your child feel even more involved in the tooth fairy tradition. Matchboxes are the perfect size for a tooth box plus they’re pretty inexpensive. Customized pillows and jars will also do the trick.

Letters

Have your child write letters to the tooth fairy like they would Santa Claus. Creating a personal relationship with the tooth fairy will make sure your child looks forward to losing their teeth. You can use this opportunity to teach them a lesson about good brushing habits. Miniature letters from the tooth fairy encourages good dental health or keeping their room clean.

Letters from the tooth fairy can also positively reinforce your child’s behavior by praising their good dental habits. Tell your children that the tooth fairy pays more for healthy teeth. For a fun easy kit, visit www.officeofthetoothfairy.com for “The Official Tooth Fairy Kit” which includes a certificate with the official tooth fairy seal as well as a reusable cloth bag to store the certificate and teeth in.

Count the teeth

A tooth punch card is a great way to keep track of how many teeth your child has lost. A punch card can also keep costs down. Twenty teeth can get rack up a hefty sum so employ the punch card method that restaurants use. Every tooth lost gets a quarter and once the child has lost five or ten teeth they get a whole dollar or five or however much you want to give them.

A chart of the teeth can also help keeps track of the teeth your child loses. Labeling the teeth will help your children understand what each tooth is called. This way they can learn about the way teeth are placed in their mouth and why it’s so important to brush all the way in the back.

Fairy dust

Fairy dust can be a fun way to bring the magic alive. Pinterest has some great ways to make fairy dust. My favorite is a recipe for edible fairy dust that uses sugar, food coloring and your oven. Make use of the homemade fairy dust and bring the tooth fairy alive by making little footprints on the windowsill with Barbie shoes. You can also use glitter hair spray found at Walmart, party store, or Halloween store. Spray the glitter on the dollar bill and coins to make it look touched by a fairy.

The tooth fairy can be a great tool to teach your children the importance of good dental hygiene. Plus activities including the tooth fairy make for great meaningful family time fun. Talk about two birds with one stone!

Sugar erodes teeth

Every mother knows that sugar = cavities. So naturally fruit juices, which are high in sugar, cause cavities. Especially since most fruit juices have a ton of added sugar, it isn’t as good for your teeth as you might think. Avoid giving fruit juices to your children at night and right before bed. Sleeping decreases saliva production, which leaves your teeth defenseless.

The acids wear away enamel

Fruit juices like lemonades, apple juices and orange juices are very high in acidic content that wears on our teeth. The acid reacts with the bacteria already in the mouth and the sugar from the juices to cause lesions or soft spots in the tooth’s protective enamel. Research has found that each time our child takes a sip of juice; an acid attack begins on their teeth for up to 20 minutes. And each sip that they take can reinforce that 20 minute attack all over again.

Tips to prevent tooth erosion

If your child likes having a juice box with their lunch or a glass of apple juice at dinner, here are some tips to reduce tooth decay.

Drink all of the Juice at one time

Make sure your children drink their juice quickly and all at once. The frequency of contact with the juice is what really matters. If your kid drinks juice all day, his teeth are in constant contact with the tooth harming sugars and acids. The best time to drink juice is with a meal since the sugars and acids present in our meals are already attacking the teeth. This way it limits the amount of time your child’s teeth are in contact with high acid and high sugar content.

Use a straw

Using a straw decreases a drink’s contact to your child’s teeth. By limiting the amount that touches your child’s teeth, we don’t immerse teeth in liquid and lower the chances of the acidic coating and destroying your teeth.

Substitute acidic beverages with water

Water is great for teeth and the best hydrator. If your child absolutely must have juice, you may want to consider watering it down so it isn’t quite as damaging to teeth as concentrated juice (plus it makes the juice last longer).

Don’t brush your teeth without rinsing

Juices, especially acidic juices like apple juice, cause the enamel on the teeth to wear out. But brushing them right after you bathe your teeth in acid can do more harm than just drinking the juice. The bristles of the toothbrush may damage and brush away the protective enamel and leave your child’s teeth exposed. Instead, rinse your mouth with water right after to wash away the residue of the juice or chew sugar-free gum preferably sweetened with Xylitol.

Switch to whole fruit juice

Fruit juice has many beneficial qualities for our children’s bodies. But store bought fruit juices like Minute Maid and Tropicana has a lot of additives. Limiting teeth exposure by switching to whole fruit and drinking more water can help make sure your children’s teeth stay strong and healthy.

We are passionate about helping your child to have great oral health at South Davis Pediatric Dentistry. If you have any specific questions about which beverage options are healthiest for your child’s teeth, feel free to send us a message or give us a call!

To Chew

There are many reasons chewing gum can be good for your child. It’s a tasty low calorie snack that lasts a long time. But besides that, there are a few other cool things that make chewing gum a healthy choice for your child!

Chewing increases production of saliva

The physical act of chewing increases the flow of saliva which helps wash food particles and neutralizes the harmful acids that cause tooth decay. An increase in saliva flow also helps move calcium and phosphate to your teeth, which strengthens them. Just make sure to choose a sugar free gum to help fight tooth decay. Chewing gum right after eating is a great habit to have to help clean your teeth and get rid of remaining food. Plus, it can be a fun alternative to sugary, high calorie treats.

Chewing gum regularly can strengthen the jaw

A few years ago my jaw was so weak that it hurt to eat hard foods. It got so bad that even chewing cooked carrots was beginning to make my jaw sore. My dentist told me to try chewing some gum to help strengthen my jaw and my biting strength. It worked wonders!

Gum contains helpful Ingredients

Gum containing ingredients like Xylitol, a natural sugar substitute, helps reduce cavities and plaque. Xylitol is sweet and tastes really similar to sugar so children can still get that sugary sweet taste when they chew. Sugar free gum isn’t just for adults anymore. Instead of having the regular mint flavors, most gum brands have yummy flavors like Trident Layers’ Grape Lemonade and Wrigley’s Extra Sweet Watermelon.
Calcium Lactate is another ingredient in chewing gum that can help your kiddo’s teeth get stronger. Calcium Lactate helps remineralize teeth’s enamel surfaces faster and makes teeth stronger so they last longer.

Not to Chew

Despite all these great reasons for chewing gum, there are some downsides to this tasty treat.

Sugary gum causes cavities

It’s pretty common knowledge that eating lots of sugary treats can cause cavities. Most big bubble producing varieties of gum are sweetened with sugar. Even with thorough brushing, the sugar from these sugary gums does significant damage since they are pressed tightly to teeth for long periods of time. The sugar reacts to the bacteria found in dental plaque and produces acids that erode tooth enamel. Sugary gum is no longer as big of an issue due to the discovery of artificial sweeteners but there are a few brands that still use sugar to sweeten gum.

Over-chewing can trigger Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

Even though chewing can improve jaw strength, it can go too far. Chewing more than a couple pieces a day can trigger symptoms of TMJ. These symptoms can include jaw pain that is associated to the chewing muscles and the joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull. If your child’s jaw makes popping noises or they feel any discomfort when their mouth opens, have them stop chewing gum.

Gum Poses a potential choking hazard

Young children don’t understand how to chew gum without swallowing yet and it’s up to us to show them how to responsibly chew gum. Since every child’s development is different, there is no age recommendation for safe chewing. So if you have any questions about whether it is a good idea for your child to chew gum, get in touch with one of our dentists at South Davis Pediatric Dentistry.

Whether you choose to let your child chew gum, make sure that gum chewing does not take the place of other healthy habits such as brushing twice a day and flossing! A good dental routine is the best way to prevent tooth decay and cavities while keeping your smile brighter than ever.