Tears & Fears
October 22nd, 2009 by Mark Mutschler
As a pediatric dentist, I specialize in children and special needs patients. Nevertheless, a large part of my job is overcoming parental fears.
Parents have an incredible influence on their children; both positively and negatively.
Kids are so tuned into parental non-verbal communication that even if a mother does not say anything negative about an upcoming dental visit, their own worries and fears will cause their child to worry too.
A clinging two year old is expected. A tearful eight year old is a challenge. A fearful 28 year old mother is very hard to overcome.
One of the best ways to help your child prepare for a dental visit is to ask yourself if you have fears yourself. If you do, perhaps your spouse may be a better choice for the first dental exam.
We pride ourselves on getting kids to have a reasonably good time and once they come and see all the fun stuff we do, they will feel better coming back.


