Many children experience anxiety during their first trip to the dentist. This anxiety can be transferred from parent to child and we often see parents who are more nervous than the child.

To help ease some of this anxiety and help prepare for the first visit to the dentist try reading dental children’s books at bedtime for a few weeks before. I have not found one children’s book that perfectly illustrates the experience, but there are so many to choose from that it is easy to find the right one for your child.

Here is a list of my favorites:

1.) “The Berenstain Bear’s Visit the Dentist,” by Stan and Jan Berenstain

2.) “Just Going to the Dentist,” by Mercer Mayer

3.) “Elmo Visits the Dentist,” by P.J Shaw                                                      

4.) “I Love Going to the Dentist!” by Lynda Hudson

5.) “Dancing Daisy Goes to the Dentist,” by Deborah Bradley 

6.) “Does a Tiger Open Wide?” by Fred Ehrlich

7.) “The Tooth Book,” by Dr. Seuss

8.) “Going to the Dentist,” by Stephen Cartwright

9.) “What to Expect when you go to the Dentist,” by Heidi Murkoff 

10.) “Show me your Smile: A Visit to the Dentist,” by Christine Ricci

Adding a few of these books into the bedtime routine before their first visit can help to make them excited about the experience. Be careful not to accidentally let your own dental anxiety sneak into the conversation and leave questions up to us. We love making the dental visit fun for the kids by using kid friendly words and terms throughout the appointment. By avoiding words such as, “hurt” “scared” “shot” “needle,” you can help us be more successful with your child and they’ll love coming back to see us each time!