Accept and heal
The statistics are disappointing: caries ranks first among chronic childhood diseases, and by school age, about 80-90% of children have carious cavities. There are many reasons for this, from the conditions in which the pregnancy took place and ending with the ecological situation, heredity and diet. There is an opinion that it is not at all necessary to treat milk teeth, but dentists today are actively debunking this myth. “The microorganisms that cause caries and the microorganisms that cause sore throat belong to the same species - these are streptococci! Each carious tooth is a hotbed of infection,”warns Nadezhda Zholobko, a leading specialist at the Radost children's dental health clinic. "In addition, a child with poorly healed teeth may have problems with bite, speech and gastrointestinal tract." There is only one way out: to heal and as soon as possible!
We go to the doctor
Let's face it: rarely will any child be delighted with a trip to the dentist. That is why it is so important to plan a visit and warn your baby about it in advance by discussing in detail the details of the upcoming event. There are many ways to prepare for dental treatment.
Psychological preparation
The most important thing is, of course, the attitude. Calmly and honestly, tell your child where and why you are going. “Don't tell your child not to be afraid, or that it won't hurt,” advises Nadezhda Zholobko. Don't promise that "the doctor won't do anything." Otherwise, the child will later understand that he was deceived and will stop trusting you. Better to say that "the doctor will count your teeth." Do not use the scary words "prick", "drill", "pull out". They will not clarify the situation, but they can easily scare a child."
Explain that going to the dentist is just part of taking care of yourself and your health. Then games, fairy tales and other ways of preparing for treatment will come to the rescue.
Fairytale therapy
Everything here is limited only by your imagination. Once upon a time there was Petya, who had little harmful little men in his teeth? Okay! Or once a tiny worm crawled into Masha's mouth and settled between her teeth? Excellent! Compose and invent together with your child, weave into the plot real details and characters familiar to the child: dad, grandmother, cat Vasilisa. Help your child model and live through possible events and don't forget to come up with a good ending for your fairy tale!
Games
The best way to get through a situation is to play it. Let the child be the patient and you the doctor, and then by all means switch roles. Your task is to associate the image of a doctor with pleasant associations. When the baby sits down in a real dental chair, he will no longer feel fear of a white coat and fear of the unknown. The "nibbler" from the Play-doh set (https://www.toy.ru/catalog/plastilin_play_doh/play_doh_b5520_igrovoy_nabor_mister_zubastik/) will also help to "beat" the trip to the dentist: he can be treated with a drill, put plasticine fillings and even pull out fillings. And he doesn't scream!
Books and cartoons
Almost every publisher today has a book that will help a child prepare for a visit to the dentist. One of the most famous editions is “Zubnaya Kniga” from the publishing house “Mann, Ivanov and Ferber” (https://www.mann-ivanov-ferber.ru/books/children/das-wackelzahnbuch/). This is a real interactive encyclopedia that will tell everything about teeth: how to treat them and how to care for them, why they fall out and what happens afterwards. The book contains many windows, pull-out elements and even a small mirror for self-diagnosis. There are also funny and instructive episodes of dental treatment in the books by Astrid Lindgren ("We are all from Bullerby") and Michael Bond ("Paddington Bear").
The multindustry is also sensitive to the needs of society: over the past few years, several good-quality cartoons on the "tooth" theme have appeared at once. In addition to the well-known "Doctor Plusheva", Smeshariki, Peppa Pig and even Fixiki will talk about teeth and the need to take care of them.
The tooth fairy and other miracles
After each visit to the doctor, the child must be praised and thanked for his courage and patience. Have your little one find a tooth fairy gift under the pillow the next day (make sure it isn't candy or fruit juice in a box) and a small note of admiration and encouragement. Such gifts will not only preserve the child's faith in miracles, but also reinforce positive emotions after visiting the dentist.