We did something similar when my son had to get two teeth pulled—he was 7 and super anxious. I actually doubted the “bring a comfort item” thing would help, but he insisted on his battered old stuffed fox. Turns out, it made a huge difference. He squeezed it the whole time, and the dentist didn’t even blink. I also found that prepping him with a silly story about “tooth pirates” coming for treasure helped more than any logical explanation I could give.
I know some people say not to over-explain, but for us, talking through every step ahead of time made it less scary. He wanted all the details, even the weird ones (like how his mouth would feel numb). Music is a great tip too—he picked his favorite cartoon soundtrack and hummed along, which honestly cracked up the nurse.
Bottom line, don’t worry about looking goofy or over-the-top. Whatever works for your kid is the right move, even if it’s not what the parenting books suggest. The staff really have seen it all, and your kid’s comfort matters more than anything else in that moment.
Can definitely relate to the whole “comfort item” thing. When I was getting my wisdom teeth out, I brought this old hoodie I’d basically lived in since high school. Sounds silly, but having something familiar made the waiting room a lot less intimidating. The staff didn’t seem to care either—they’ve probably seen way weirder stuff.
I’m with you on giving all the details, even if some folks say it’ll freak people out more. Personally, knowing exactly what would happen (like how my mouth would feel numb for hours and drool might be involved) helped me mentally prepare. I actually asked my dentist to walk me through each step as it happened—maybe that’s overkill for some, but for me it took away a lot of the mystery.
Music’s a good tip too. I made a playlist just for the appointment and zoned out as much as possible. Didn’t really care if I looked ridiculous humming along...it worked.
At the end of the day, whatever helps you or your kid feel less anxious is worth doing, even if it’s not what the “experts” recommend.
When my kid had to get a tooth pulled, I was way more nervous than he was. I actually let him bring his favorite stuffed animal, even though he’s “too old” for it, and honestly, it made a difference. I get what you mean about wanting all the details—personally, I think sugarcoating it just makes the anxiety worse. Some people say you shouldn’t tell kids too much, but I’d rather he knows what to expect than be blindsided. Music helped us too, but I wish dentists would just accept that everyone needs their own weird coping thing, y’know?
Letting my daughter pick her own comfort thing (she brought a squishy keychain) really helped too. I totally agree—knowing the steps ahead of time made her less scared, even if it sounded a little gross. Did your kid ask a lot of questions before the appointment, or just kinda roll with it?
My kid honestly just wanted to get it over with—didn’t ask much, just kind of shrugged and went along. I get why people want to prep their kids with all the details, but sometimes too much info can make them more anxious (at least in our case). We kept it simple and let him bring his favorite old hoodie for comfort. Also, I was glad we didn’t have to buy anything extra or fancy—sometimes those little things add up.
