What Should I Do As A Parent? Can I Come In And See My Kids? I Am Scared As Well!

I encourage my parents to come in the treatment room and watch what I am doing while I am fixing the tooth. Actually there is no right or wrong answer to this question of "should I stay or should I go". But I believe in non-authorative type of environment. After all, that is how I raise my kids. . . Not by stick but by love. . . If you trust me doing the best for the kid and you don't want to see, you don't have to be in the room.

But ground rule is so important. In order for me to treat kids, parents has to understand what is helping the situation and what is not helping the situation while in the room. 

Most importantly, please don't use negative words to kids. "It won't hurt. . . No pain. . .There is no needle/shot. . . It is almost over". . . Kids are smart. Kid is thinking, if it is not going to hurt, why my mom is keep saying it won't hurt? When negative words are used, it doesn't matter whether you said "It won't hurt or I would hurt". All he/she hears is the word, "hurt".

We use kid's language and show kids what is going to be done before doing anything. For example, we use tooth counter to see the sugar bug. And we use sleepy juice to put the tooth to sleep and tickle the tooth or blast the sugar bug with whistle.

Overall, thing are much smoother if parent can become "silent observer". If any time you are concerned about child's safety, you can ask and stop me. If mother talks, my assistant talk, and I talk, it is overwhelming for kid to follow.

So, I can treat any child who I can communicate. As long as child can open their mouth, keep head still, and hand down, I can treat. Usually, that means five or older. If I can treat my five year old son without sedation, I can treat others. No. I don't put kids to sleep. If behavior therapy wouldn't work, then, I would refer to a pediatric dentist, who could use general anesthesia with anesthesiologist in hospital setting.