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Using Role-play To Prepare Your Child For Their Dentist Appointment

2 March 2015

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Children often experience anxiety when confronted with the need to visit the dentist for the first time. In some cases, this anxiety stems from negative experiences that either other children or adults have shared. A great way to help your child through this process is with role play.

How Can Role Play Help?

Dental anxiety will stem from nothing more than the natural fear of the unknown. Consequently, the more information you can give your child regarding the dental exam process, the less anxious they will feel. In fact, they may even come to look forward to their first dentist appointment once their anxiety issues are resolved. 

Like many adults, children often fear what they do not know or understand. If you are being completely honest, it's not that hard to understand why the idea of a total stranger poking around in your mouth with medical instruments your have never seen is so scary for many children.

By engaging in role play with your child, you will have the ability to share vital information with them regarding the role the dentist plays, the dental instruments that are used during an exam, and what type of new words they might hear while in the dentist's office.

Present this information to your child in the form of play, you will be able to bypass any anxiety that they are feeling so that they are more open to receiving the information they need to ultimately overcome their anxiety all together.

Getting Started

To begin with, ask your child about a variety of different professions and the role that adults play throughout their community. This will allow you to engage your child's imagination while keeping the focus off of dentistry. The purpose of this is to prevent your child from becoming anxious and shutting down before you can truly engage them.

As you talk about different professions, begin steering the conversation in the direction of the medical field. Ask your child about the roles that doctors and nurses play. Finally, bring up the profession of a dentist. Share with your child why you like going to the dentist so much and how these professionals have helped you throughout your life. Once you have their attention, ask them if they would like to play a game of dentist with you.

Playing The Game

Now that you have your child's undivided attention, begin your role playing session by you taking on the role of the dentist and your child playing the role of the patient. Walk your child through each step of the process from the time they arrive in you pretend dentist's office to the time they leave. Talk about each step in the dental exam process, the instruments that the dentist (you) are using, and how this exam will help them to maintain a healthy smile.

Once you are confident that your child has absorbed the information you have given them, offer to switch places with them and allow them to play the role of the dentist. This will not only allow you to ensure that they have in fact absorbed this information, but it will also allow you to empower your child by allowing them to personally identify with the role their new dentist plays. Have more questions? Contact a company like North Phoenix Pediatric Dentistry to learn more.

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