My 6-year-old freaks out every time we mention the dentist. Like, full-on panic mode. We’ve tried talking it up, bribery (don’t judge), even storybooks about teeth… nothing works. Anybody got tips that actually helped your little ones chill out?
Man, I feel you on this. My kiddo was the exact same at that age—like, just hearing the word “dentist” and he’d bolt for the closet. We tried all the usual stuff too... stickers, new toothbrushes, even letting him watch me get my teeth cleaned (which honestly backfired because I looked ridiculous in those sunglasses).
What finally helped us was doing a “practice visit.” We asked the dentist if we could just come by, let him sit in the chair, play with the little mirror thingy, no actual cleaning or anything. The staff was super chill about it and let him push all the buttons (within reason). I think seeing there were no surprises made a difference.
Also—not sure if this is controversial—but we stopped making a big deal out of it either way. Like, if he freaked, we just said “Yeah, it’s weird, but we’ll get through it.” Sometimes acting like it’s no biggie helps take some of the pressure off? Anyway, hang in there. It does get easier… eventually.
That “practice visit” idea really does seem to make a difference. I remember when my niece was little, her parents did something similar—just let her poke around the office, meet the hygienist, and play with the chair. Took a few tries, but eventually she stopped associating the place with just scary stuff.
I do think there’s something to not making it a huge event either. When my own kids were younger, we tried hyping up dentist trips as this big adventure, and honestly, it seemed to add more pressure. Downplaying it and treating it like any other errand worked better for us too.
Curious if anyone here has tried those storybooks about going to the dentist? We found one at the library that showed cartoon animals getting their teeth checked, and it actually helped my youngest feel less nervous. Wondering if that’s been helpful for others or if it’s just hit-or-miss depending on the kid?
The storybook thing is hit-or-miss in my house, but when it hits, it really hits. My daughter was obsessed with this one about a crocodile who was scared of the dentist—she thought it was hilarious that a giant, toothy croc was the one freaking out. We ended up reading it so many times I could probably recite it in my sleep. I actually caught her “checking” her stuffed animals’ teeth with a flashlight after that, so at least it got her curious instead of anxious.
I totally get what you mean about not making it a huge deal. The first time we tried to “make it special,” we brought out all the stops—favorite outfit, special breakfast, the whole nine yards. She was suspicious from the jump. Like, why are they rolling out the red carpet for the dentist? What’s REALLY going on here? Next time, we just treated it like swinging by the grocery store, and she barely batted an eye.
Honestly, I think half the battle is just normalizing the experience. If you act like it’s just part of life (like taking out the trash or brushing your teeth), kids seem to pick up on that vibe. The other half is bribery—kidding... kind of. A sticker at the end never hurts.
I do have a soft spot for the “let them mess around in the office” approach, too. My son once spent ten minutes just raising and lowering the dentist chair and giggling like a maniac. By the time the actual cleaning started, he was more interested in pressing buttons than worrying about the tools. Sometimes distraction is the best medicine.
But yeah, books and cartoons can be a total game-changer if you find one that clicks. If only someone would make a story about a unicorn getting veneers, I’d be set for life...
Normalizing it really does seem to make a difference. My youngest was so nervous until we started treating dentist visits like any other errand—no big buildup, just “we’re stopping by the dentist after school.” Also, letting her “help” pick out her toothbrush at the office somehow gave her a sense of control. It’s funny how much those little details can shift their attitude. The chair buttons are always a hit, too... sometimes I think the staff have as much fun watching as the kids do.
