C WR U Schoo l o f Den t al
M edi c ine an d Un i ver si t y o f
3. Help your child tell
their own story
A. Looking beyond the fear
 Build your child’s sense of
accomplishment by letting them talk
 These are some common mistakes
parents make:
1. Ignoring the feelings or mistakenly
over-emphasize the negative: “I
know it hurts but it’s over now.”
2. Use bribing or favors to make the
sting go away: “Let’s go to your
favorite restaurant, it will make
you feel better.”
3. When you do all the talking, your
child stops listening and does little
to change the negative feelings.
B. Put your child in the driver’s seat
 Your child needs to make this
positive story their own, so the very
act of saying the words out loud helps
connect the story in their memory
 Tips to strengthen positive thought:
1. “When you get home, what are
you going to tell Dad about the going
to the dentist?
2. By practicing what they will say
to another person, they will reinforce
the positive memory in a lasting way
Wa s hin gton Dep t. o f D ent al
4. Connect behavior to health P ubli c H ea lth Sc i enc e s
A. Foster your child’s feeling of self control Turn That Frown
 By developing your child’s feeling of self Upside Down!
control, it will help them in the future. 4 Steps to Happier
 Some common mistakes parents make: Dental Visits
1. “Everybody has to do it.”
2. “Don’t be such a baby.”
3. “Stop crying and act your age.”
4. Saying these things makes your child feel
helpless and more negative.
B. Make connections
 Focus on the behavior you want your child
Computer Program Overview Pamphlet
to repeat
 Connect their good behavior and the den-
tist’s ability to keep their teeth healthy
 Help them see the value of the dentist and
then help your child realize they are an active
player in improving their own health
1. “I’m so glad we came today so the dentist
could help you with your teeth.” Our goal is to do more than
2. “The dentist was able to help you because just “get kids through the
you opened your mouth wide. Thanks for
dental visit”. The best plan is to
helping him.”
stop dental fear before it starts
** Remember to think long term. You can Masahiro Heima, DDS, PhD
help your child prepare for a lifetime of posi- Jacquie Pickrell, PhD
tive, healthy habits Peter Milgrom, DDS
Gerald Ferretti, DDS, MS, MPH
Sarah Park, BA
Contact info: 216-368-1379
masahiro.heima@case.edu
 Conquering Fear of
the Dentist
Children who have fearful dental
A. Help your child calm down
experiences are more likely to carry
that fear with them for the rest of
their lives. Sadly this can lead them
to avoid visits to the dentist as
adults, which can be very unhealthy.
B. Show them you are listening
This summary pamphlet will help
you help your child be happier and
more cooperative on this/her next
dental visit
Four simple steps to happier dental
visits:
C. Listen and let them know it
1. Listen and sympathize
2. Specify positive things the child
did
3. Help them tell their own story
4. Connect behavior to health
1. Listen and Sympathize
 Children are afraid of the dentist because they
do not understand the situation well.
 It is important that they hear from you that you
understand their feelings and are listening
 Overpowering or distracting your child may
temporarily help the situation but it does not
deal with the fear so the fear can continue and/or
get worse.
 Sympathize with how they are feeling by
showing them you are listen by what you say
and how you say it.
 Body language tips:
1. Give them full attention– put away cell
phones, magazines, etc.
2. Face your child
3. Make eye contact and be face to face.
 When your child is upset in a public place,
help them calm down by taking them aside and
talking to them
 Distracting children from feeling bad may
work in short term, but it can lead to long to
problems when children feel they are not being
listened to.
 Tips to say to show active listening:
1. “I can see you are upset. Let’s talk about it.”
2. “I know that was scary for you. Can you tell
me what you are afraid of?”
2. Give Positive & Specific Feedback
A. Focus on the positive
 What you say and how you say it are
important in forming the memory and atti-
tudes your child will have for a lifetime.
 You can help build a positive memory by
helping your child recognize importance of
appropriate and positive behavior within
the scary experience.
 Don’t just say “Good job” or “It’s over
now, get over it.” because it just glosses
over the experience without finding the
positive aspect
B. Build a positive memory
 Focus on the positive elements of the
experience and the child’s behavior. Rein-
force the good parts of the behavior you
want them to repeat.
 Tell them about the positive behavior and
be specific. Focus on these ideas:
1. They sat down in the dentist chair
2. They opened their mouth and let the
dentist look at it
3. They kept their hands still and listened
to the dentist
 Reinforce even the smallest behavior but
do not lie. Use any example of when
your child was cooperating