Simplifying dental tools for a child’s first dental visit.

Hi all! Thursday is blog day, and today we’ve prepared a blog that will help you to better explain dentistry tools to your children.  You don’t want to scare them but you do want to stay truthful.

This is why tooth-fairies like me, Sasha, exist - to help kids to see the lighter side of visits to the dentist.  It’s also why at Rose’s dental practice, Eagle Crest Pediatric Dentistry, kindness, patience and friendly terminology is used to help kids relax and feel calm. To further help parents, Rose wrote a series of books about dental development, all of which you can find on the ‘My Books’ page on this website.
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When your child is going to visit the dentist for the first time, like little Rosie in Rose’s book ‘My First Visit to the Dentist’, don’t be overwhelmed by their questions.  Instead, help them become familiar with the dentist’s tools that’ll be used, in a warm and calm, even fun way.

Here are some words you should use:

1 - Sugar Bugs is the name we give the bacteria that grow on our teeth and cause cavities, no matter our age.

​​2 - A Dentist’s Mirror is known as a little mirror or a special mirror. This is used to look closely at the front, back, and top of teeth, all the way to the back of the mouth. It can reveal areas where plaque has built-up, as well as any obvious cavities. 

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​3 - A Tooth Explorer is known as a tooth counter. This tool is particularly scary to children due to its sharp end. A good dentist will attempt to point away the sharp end as best as possible, so as not to frighten the child. This tool is used to check for cavities in the grooves of teeth.

4 - The Electric Toothbrush is simply known as the dentist’s spinning toothbrush. This instrument is powered by a power-supply, usually alongside other power-requiring equipment on a console within the dentist’s reach. The toothbrush, along with the dentist’s special cleaning paste, brushes away plaque and removes stains on the teeth. Kids often find this ticklish, so you could call it a tooth tickler if you like! 

5 - A Saliva Ejector is better known as Mister Thirsty. The purpose of a saliva ejector is to suck-up saliva and water during the cleaning process. It makes a sucking sound and can even tickle when it touches your cheeks, but it’s only Mister Thirsty happily drinking whatever liquid he can find in your mouth!

​6 - The Dental Water Jet is also known as Miss Water Whistle!  The dentist will use this equipment to spray water throughout the mouth to flush out any unwanted matter.  Mister Thirsty works alongside Miss Water Whistle sucking up all the flushed-out matter – and, yes, Miss Water Whistle does make a whistling noise as she sprays water! 
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​7 - There are instances when the dentist will take an X-ray of your child’s teeth. We refer to this process as taking a picture of the teeth.  X-ray machines can vary in appearance, from a tall enclosure where the child will stand to have the machine-head - also known as the ‘camera’ - revolve around the head, to a ‘camera’ positioned right next to the face that takes the ‘photos’. These are referred to as ‘Pictures of the Teeth’.  They show the insides of the teeth and the jaw – quite amazing and out-of-this-world technology really!

8 - Once cleaning is complete, the dentist will apply a Fluoride varnish or foam, better known as Tooth Vitamins on your child’s teeth. You can tell your child that this is like a magic force-field that will make their teeth strong. 

​9 - At Rose’s practice, all of her patients get to choose a prize from the special Prize Tower once the procedure is complete. This is always something for kids to look forward to, and serves as a great incentive for being brave. 

And there you have it! Now you know what terms and explanations to use when your child asks what will happen at the dentist’s office, or if they become nervous about their first visit to the dentist.

We hope this blog has helped you today! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact Rose or leave a comment for her on Facebook.
 
Until next time, keep shining,
stay magical.
Sasha ~

My First Visit to the Dentist   

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