I've had a fair share of dentist meltdowns with my 5-year-old, and I've finally found a few things that seem to help. First, we talk through exactly what's gonna happen beforehand (but in kid-friendly terms, you know?). Then I let her bring her favorite stuffed animal along, seems silly but it works wonders. And last time we tried headphones with some cartoons playing—total game changer. Curious if there's other stuff I'm missing or better ways to handle this...
"Then I let her bring her favorite stuffed animal along, seems silly but it works wonders."
Honestly, the stuffed animal idea is great, but I've noticed sometimes bringing familiar things from home can actually backfire. My son associated his favorite teddy with comfort at home, and when he brought it to the dentist, it seemed to stress him out even more—like the worlds were colliding or something. Instead, we've started using a special "dentist day" toy that's only for visits. Seems to help him separate the experiences...just something to think about.
That's an interesting point about keeping things separate...never thought of it that way. We usually just talk through what's gonna happen step-by-step beforehand, and it seems to ease anxiety. Have you tried prepping your son with a little role-play at home first?
