Happy Thursday, all! In today’s blog we’re going to share some reasons why it’s good to let your children dress-up in costumes for their dental visits. Of course, many children are inspired by tooth-fairies like me, but each child tends to have their own personal hero who they feel will make them braver. Fantasy and make-believe has always helped both young and old to get through tough times. Perhaps it was Walt Disney who first helped people to believe in magic. Dreamworks, Marvel, and DC comics also created a number of heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Toothless, and many others. These heroes were created in fantasy, yes, but all of them have strong personalities that children can relate to. How often have you heard your child speak of a hero that they wish they could be like? Visiting the dentist can be worrying for children because of what they have been told. The general perception most kids have is that the procedure will hurt and be uncomfortable. After all, this is what cartoons and TV shows depict even if they attempt to make it humorous. At Rose’s offices, Eagle Crest Pediatric Dentistry, many of the children who visit arrive dressed-up as their favorite hero. They have their photo taken and the staff always ‘ooh and aaah’ at their outfits, which immediately takes the child’s attention off the fact they’re even at a dental office! Here are some of the benefits of letting your child do the same. 1 – when a child dresses-up as someone they respect and think is a hero, they automatically take on the same bravery they think the character has. They feel invincible, and that any power that the character has they will have, too. 2 – children feel that dressing-up takes the staff and dentist’s attention off of them and how they are feeling. The child feels their worry can’t be seen behind the mask and clothes they wear. 3 – when they see other children at the office dressed-up, too, they feel more relaxed as though they’re at a friend’s costume party! 4 – dressing-up gets attention from others who see them. This attention is usually always positive and excitable, which helps once again to take the child’s attention off the dental visit. 5 – days prior to the visit, the initial worry is replaced by ‘Is your outfit ready? My goodness, we have to prepare for your meeting with the dentist!’ In truth, they become more concerned with looking the part than with worrying about what will happen. Understanding children and their love (and even need) for superheroes, Rose created the Superhero Dentist! She features in a series of books written by Rose called ‘The Tales of Banjo and the Superhero Dentist’. In the series, the Superhero Dentist is meant to portray just what a dentist is under their scrubs! Of course, if dentists revealed their true identity to children they would be called-out, just like all superheroes – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman; all of them have ‘normal jobs’ but underneath their day-clothes they save the world! In truth, dentists are superheroes. Without them, one can only imagine all the trauma children would face with sore teeth and gums! So, that’s what dentists like Rose do – they save the day when the Sugar Bugs come to town! Do your children like to dress-up when they go to the dentist? We’d love to see some pictures if they do. You can send them to me via my page, or you can post them on Rose’s Facebook or Twitter pages, too. Keep the magic alive, because every child’s smile counts! Until next time, be a hero and save the world! Sasha ~ Excited Banjo Meets the Superhero Dentist
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