Doctor’s offices can make both kids and adults a little nervous! This is totally normal, and it’s part of our job at Williams Orthodontics to put your minds at ease. So to help put you and your little ones minds at ease we’re going to provide some guidance on how to prepare your child for their first orthodontic visit.
Setting Expectations
It’s a great idea to start by giving your child a run-through of what they’re doing and what to expect from their first office visit. This can be tough to come up with on your own, so let us help you out!
- What We Do: Let them know that orthodontists are able to transform teeth and smiles to make them straighter and healthier. We might take some digital scans or x-rays, which don’t hurt one bit.
- What Braces Do: You explain that braces are made up of special parts that work together to shift teeth into better positions. They work slowly but steadily, and they’re unique for every patient.
- Why They Need Them: Share with them that having braces early can make their lives much easier in the long run! Their smile will be easier to clean and care for in the years to come.
A Helpful Hand
There are many steps you can take as a parent to help your child prepare for their consultation. Many of these steps can serve as a great foundation and be especially helpful for kids who have pre-existing anxiety.
- Visit the Office: You’re welcome to pop into either of our offices in Monroe or El Dorado with your child ahead of time to say hello before your appointment. This can help them become familiar with our office space and hopefully feel more at home before their appointment.
- Meet the Doctor: We also have a handy page on our website where you can learn a bit more about Dr. Williams before meeting him. For kids, having a face to put to a name can be helpful ahead of seeing them for the first time.
- Watch Educational Videos: For kids who work well with videos and visual media, there’s a huge collection of helpful videos online about visiting the orthodontist’s office. These use child-friendly language, characters, and other stimuli to send a positive message.
- Bring a Comfort Item: A comfort object can be a soft stuffed animal, a favorite doll, or a blanket. Whatever you think will serve as a familiar anchor for your child during their visit. We will also do whatever we can to help with this process.
- Stay Positive: Really think about the kind of positive language you use when discussing Williams Orthodontics with your child. Using negative language like “scary” can make them associate those things with the experience, and that’s never the goal.
- Establish Good Oral Hygiene: It’s fairly normal for kids to have problems with dental hygiene. This can become a more serious issue once they start treatment with braces, so it’s smart to try and get ahead of the game. Try your best to instill good habits in the weeks and months leading up to your first visit.
- Prepare for Questions: There really is no such thing as a “weird question.” Every question you or your child has is perfectly valid, and we do our very best to provide you with answers to any and all concerns you may have. So please, encourage them to share their questions with us!
- A Team Effort: Remind kids that orthodontic treatment is only successful with the help of lots of friends. Dr. Williams and every other member of our team work hard to let kids know they aren’t alone at any point of their treatment. Working together is a powerful tool!
- Plan Something Fun After the Visit: Be strategic! For example, let your child know you have a surprise planned for after their appointment. This can be some kind of favorite treat, a trip to a park or zoo, or movie time. This type of reward can be so helpful—though they might come to expect them more often!
We work with parents on a daily basis to make sure their kids have plenty of reasons to be excited to be with us. Don’t hesitate to ask us ahead of time if you need any more ideas or tips!
Cool to Be Kind
Parents and kids both feel some degree of pressure ahead of visiting a new doctor for the first time, we know! Dr. Williams is so proud to help serve the families of Monroe and El Dorado, and you can trust that you’re in amazing hands with him!