We tried a therapy dog at our office for a bit, and while some kids loved it, others were definitely uneasy. I remember one little girl who relaxed way more just holding onto her stuffed bunny...every kiddo really is different.
"every kiddo really is different."
Haha, couldn't agree more. Reminds me of my nephew—he was terrified of our dentist's "friendly" clown painting (honestly, who wouldn't be?), but give him a toothbrush shaped like a dinosaur and suddenly he's Mr. Brave. You're doing great by noticing what each kid responds to best...sometimes all it takes is a stuffed bunny or a goofy toothbrush to ease their nerves. Keep up the good work!
"Haha, couldn't agree more. Reminds me of my nephew—he was terrified of our dentist's "friendly" clown painting (honestly, who wouldn't be?), but give him a toothbrush shaped like a dinosaur and suddenly he's Mr. Brave."
Haha, that's hilarious and so relatable. My daughter had a similar thing with the waiting room fish tank—she'd stare at the fish totally calm and fascinated, but the second we headed toward the dentist's chair, cue meltdown mode. Eventually, we found a pediatric dentist who let her pick her own flavored toothpaste (bubblegum every time, go figure...). That little bit of control made a huge difference. It's definitely true that kids respond differently to these small details. Sometimes it's not even about the dentist themselves, but about how comfortable and involved the kids feel in the process. Glad to see others noticing this too—makes me feel less crazy for being picky about finding just the right dental office for my little one!
We had a similar experience—my son hated the first dentist we tried because the office had this weird buzzing fluorescent light that freaked him out. Switched to a smaller practice with softer lighting and a more relaxed vibe, and it was night and day. Funny how little things like lighting or decor can make such a difference. Did anyone else find that office atmosphere mattered as much as the dentist themselves?
Definitely—atmosphere is huge. When I was a kid, my parents took me to this dentist whose waiting room had nothing but plastic chairs and old magazines from like five years ago. Felt like a DMV waiting room, honestly. Later we switched to a place with beanbags, cartoons on TV, and even video games in the corner. Suddenly going to the dentist wasn't torture anymore... who knew Mario Kart could fix dental anxiety? Small things really do matter.
