We love to see kids in our office at Kottemann Orthodontics. It’s a point of pride for us that we get to serve patients of all ages. We get a lot of questions from parents on how to prepare their children for their first orthodontic visit, so we want to help! Our experienced doctors and team will provide you with some helpful tips to better prepare you and your child for their first orthodontic visit with us.
Education is Everything
When you’re going into a place for the first time, even as an adult, you like to know what you’re about to walk into. This effect is maximized when it comes to children—so you can start by explaining a bit about what they can expect.
- Simple and Basic
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- What to Say: “An orthodontist is a special type of dentist, who helps make smiles straighter and healthier!”
- Making it Relatable:
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- What to Say: “You know how we wash our bodies, exercise, and eat healthy? We can take care of our teeth in the same way with the help of an orthodontist. It’s just part of being healthy!”
- Explaining Benefits:
- What to Say: “Having braces can help to make your smile become straighter and helps you talk more clearly and chew better. It can take a little while, but the results are so great!”
Statements like this can be a really good starting point for parents who can’t quite decide on an initial approach or who know their child has existing anxiety.
Other Tips and Tricks
In terms of preparing for the very first visit to one of our offices, we have lots of amazing suggestions for making that process easier—pleasant, even!
- “Tour” Our Offices: If you have a child who is very responsive to visual media, we have a great tool for you. Our website has digital tours of our offices so that they’ll have an idea of where they’re headed.
- Explain the Purpose: Let them know the name of which one of our awesome doctors they’ll be meeting, and that his or her purpose is to check out their teeth and create a special plan to help make their smile the best it can be.
- Describe What Happens: Initial appointments can include diagnostics like x-rays or digital scans being taken. Telling them about these processes can help them have confidence going in and assure them it’s nothing to be afraid of.
- Bring a Comfort Item: Having a favorite stuffed animal, toy, blanket, or other source of comfort can be a great tool so that they don’t feel like they are alone in the process of visiting. They offer amazing emotional support in new environments like ours. We’ll also do everything we can to accommodate them while they’re with us.
- Watch Educational Videos: One benefit of the internet is the plethora of educational videos you can find for free! Consider watching fun, educational media about orthodontic offices and braces to help explain what’s happening effectively. These visual aids can go very far in preparing kids.
- Prepare for Questions: Children are so wonderfully curious. Be honest but reassuring in your answers to questions about braces, reminding them that our orthodontic team will answer all the questions they can think of. It can also be helpful to inform them that this is the first step in a longer undertaking and that it will take some time, like letting a plant grow.
- Stay Positive: Kids mirror energy—any parent knows this! So use positive language when talking about Kottemann Orthodontics, and avoid saying things like “painful.” Remind them this is something to be excited for!
- Establish Good Oral Hygiene: Regardless of the approach we take for treatment, oral health plays an instrumental role. So get ahead of the game by encouraging kiddos to floss and brush regularly in the weeks leading up to their visit. You could explain that this helps us see their teeth more clearly.
- A Team Effort: Let your child know that this entire process will be a collaborative one between many people. Every person they meet in our office is there to help them. As the parent, you will also be a part of this team, along with your child’s orthodontists. This allusion can be especially effective if your child plays sports.
- Plan Something Fun After the Visit: Acknowledge that it takes courage to visit a new doctor for the first time, and offer a reward! This can be a trip to the park, movie or tablet time, or some other activity. They can have this event to look forward to even before arriving at our office.
Young, Bright, and Brilliant
It can be a lot of pressure on a parent to seek orthodontic treatment with their kids, especially for the first time. Your stress is valid too—but be reassured that you’re in amazing hands with Kottemann Orthodontics. We have four convenient locations in Chaska, Maple Grove, Orono, and Plymouth.