8 Tips to Help Kids Overcome Fear of Dentists

Taking kids to the dentist is necessary to keep their teeth healthy and promote excellent oral hygiene habits. But from a child's point of view, a trip to the dentist can be a scary event -- lying on a chair in an unfamiliar room filled with unfamiliar noises and objects, all while a stranger is poking cold, metallic, and unusual instruments in his mouth. Plus, as your child's teeth continue to fall out and grow, he may take at least 10 trips to the dentist before starting kindergarten. To help ease future visits for your child (and for the dentist!), follow these steps so that he will feel comfortable and more relaxed.

Start Young
The earlier a child visits the dentist, the better. "This will provide your child with a 'dental home' where all her needs -- whether a periodic preventive visit or an emergency -- will be taken care of," says Rhea Haugseth, D.M.D., president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. It's best that the first visit starts at age 1 or when the first tooth is visible.

Keep It Simple
When preparing for a visit, especially the first time, try not to include too many details. Doing so will raise more questions, and adding more information about an extra treatment like a filling he might need may cause unnecessary anxiety. Keep a positive attitude when discussing an upcoming visit, but don't give your child false hope. "Avoid saying that everything will be fine, because if you child ends up needing a treatment, he might lose trust in both the dentist and you," says Joel H. Berg, D.D.S., M.S., Director of the Department of Dentistry at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Watch Your Words
"Don't use the 'S' (shot),'H' (hurt) or 'P' (pain) words with children. Let the staff introduce their own vocabulary to children to help them get through difficult situations," Dr. Berg suggests. Instead, tell your child that the dentist is looking for "sugar bugs" so he can clean them off their teeth. "My favorite thing to have parents tell their child is that we are going to check their smile and count their teeth -- that's it, nothing else," says Michael J. Hanna, D.M.D., a pediatric dentist in McKee Rocks, Pennsylvania, and a national spokesperson of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Use positive phrases like "clean, strong, healthy teeth" to make the visit seem fun and good rather than scary and alarming.

Consider a Pretend Visit
Before the first dentist appointment, play pretend with your child to be the dentist and the patient, Dr. Berg says. All you'll need is a toothbrush. Count your little one's teeth by starting with the number 1 or the letter A. Avoid making drilling noises or lining up other "instruments." You can even hold up a mirror and show her how the dentist might look at and check her teeth. Then let your child role-play by using a toothbrush to clean the teeth of a stuffed animal or doll. The key is getting her familiar with the routine so that she's more comfortable for the real visit.

Picture books with detailed illustrations and easy-to-understand language can also help children get a sense of what to expect. Read Spongebob Squarepants' Behold No Cavities! A Visit to the Dentist or Dora the Explorer's Show Me Your Smile!: A Visit to the Dentist.

Do Not Try to Relate
Some parents take their children with them to their own dentist appointment, but experts say this is a mistake. Parents themselves might feel anxious about the visit without even realizing it, and their child might sense those fears. Telling "war stories" about extractions, root canals, or other negative experiences will also trigger anxiety, especially because your child may not even have those procedures. Taking your child to a sterile, adult office also gives the wrong impression, whereas most pediatric dentists make their offices kid-friendly -- some have video games, pleasing pictures on the walls, and movies or TV shows kids enjoy.

Prepare for Some Fussing
"It is normal and age-appropriate for a young child to cry, whine, wiggle, and not want to be examined by a stranger," Dr. Haugseth points out. "Stay calm and remember that the dentist and her staff are used to working with children and have seen their share of tantrums." Let the dental care professionals guide you; they might ask you to stay at a distance or to hold your little one's hand, which will provide comfort and prevent him from grabbing any dental instruments.

Avoid Bribery
Many experts do not recommend promising your child a special treat if she behaves well at the dentist. Doing so will only increase their apprehension. Saying, "If you don't fuss or cry, you'll get a lollipop," might make your little one think, "What's so bad about the dentist that I might want to cry?" Promising a sugary treat also sends the wrong message after a dentist emphasizes having clean, healthy teeth by avoiding sweets that can cause cavities. Instead, after the visit is over, praise your child for her good behavior and bravery. Every once in a while, surprise her with a sticker or a small toy as an encouragement.

Emphasize the Importance of Good Oral Hygiene
Teach your child that visiting the dentist is a necessity, not a choice, and that the dentist will take care of his teeth so that they are strong enough for him to eat. You might also explain that the dentist helps keep cavities at bay and ensures that his patients will have a beautiful smile for years to come. As Dr. Haugseth explains, "A no-nonsense attitude from the parent will set the stage for what the child should expect to achieve excellent oral health."

Dina Roth Port is the author of Previvors: Facing the Breast Cancer Gene and Making Life-Changing Decisions. She has written for publications such as Glamour, Parenting, and The Huffington Post. Visit her website at www.dinarothport.com.

Dr. Shrager & Associates Serving Central Florida With a Walk-In, One Stop Dental Experience!

At Orange Dental Associates, Dr. Joe Shrager and our entire team believe strongly in offering all our patients superior care and an unmatched standard of personal attention. Our entire dental staff is committed to treating each patient in as complete and customized a manner as possible.

Our cosmetic dentists – serving Orlando, Kissimmee and Central Florida patients – offer general and restorative dental treatments, including dental crowns, composite fillings, and dental implants. We are especially proud to offer the Invisalign® teeth straightening system, Zoom!® teeth whitening and LUMINEERS® porcelain veneers. These treatments can beautifully remedy cooked, stained or flawed teeth. Indeed, we can dramatically improve the appearance and health of your smile.

To learn more about how you can achieve a smile makeover, contact a cosmetic dentist at Orange Dental Associates’ Orlando office today. We can help you obtain the brilliant smile that you deserve.

LUMINEERS® Porcelain Veneers : Orange Dental

LUMINEERS® dental veneers are a beautiful, pain-free way to correct stained, chipped or crooked teeth. With ultra-thin LUMINEERS®, our Orlando cosmetic dentist can completely transform your smile. LUMINEERS® can correct many cosmetic problems that otherwise cause embarrassment and self-consciousness.

Unlike traditional dental veneers, LUMINEERS® do not require removing the tooth’s enamel. That means no shots, no drilling, and no pain. Instead, ultra-thin LUMINEERS® are placed over your existing teeth creating a new, bright smile. LUMINEERS® are unique in that they are ultra-thin. While traditional veneers are much thicker, requiring the grinding down of your original tooth structure, LUMINEERS® are so thin, little to no tooth reduction is necessary.

LUMINEERS® are an easy, advanced way to restore, improve and enhance your smile. Our cosmetic dentist can completely transform your smile. To learn more about porcelain veneers or LUMINEERS® dental veneers, contact us now!

What Will My Porcelain Veneers Look Like?

The glass-like ceramic that forms porcelain veneers closely resembles natural tooth enamel. This is because, much like real tooth enamel, porcelain veneers are translucent. When light strikes a natural tooth's surface, it is not immediately reflected off. Instead, it penetrates the tooth enamel and reflects off the opaque tooth dentin that lies just beneath. This translucent effect is what gives teeth their luster. By replicating this, porcelain dental veneers provide patients with bright, natural looking smiles.

Dental veneers can also cover and repair cracked and chipped teeth. Because porcelain veneers are custom made and fitted to your teeth by a skilled cosmetic dentist, you can customize and improve much more than just the color of your teeth. Crooked and chipped teeth can have their appearances improved to give you a beautiful new smile. Any broken teeth can be repaired using dental crowns, or caps, that can be color matched to your dental veneers.

Did You Smile Today?

LUMINEERS® Dental Veneers: Orange dental Associates

LUMINEERS® dental veneers are a beautiful, pain-free way to correct stained, chipped or crooked teeth. With ultra-thin LUMINEERS®, our Orlando cosmetic dentist can completely transform your smile. LUMINEERS® can correct many cosmetic problems that otherwise cause embarrassment and self-consciousness.

Unlike traditional dental veneers, LUMINEERS® do not require removing the tooth's enamel. That means no shots, no drilling, and no pain. Instead, ultra-thin LUMINEERS® are placed over your existing teeth creating a new, bright smile. LUMINEERS® are unique in that they are ultra-thin. While traditional veneers are much thicker, requiring the grinding down of your original tooth structure, LUMINEERS® are so thin, little to no tooth reduction is necessary.
LUMINEERS® are an easy, advanced way to restore, improve and enhance your smile. Our cosmetic dentist can completely transform your smile. To learn more about porcelain veneers or LUMINEERS® dental veneers, contact Orange Dental Associates in Orlando, Florida.

Inlays and Onlays: Orange Dental Associates

Dental inlays and onlays are restorations used to repair teeth that have a moderate or significant amount of tooth structure to replace. They are often the restoration of choice when a regular resin filling would be too big but not severe enough to require a crown. The inlays and onlays can be made from porcelain, composite resin or even gold and the location and esthetic needs determine the best material to select. Cosmetically, the porcelain inlays and onlays are virtually invisible and are often used to replace old, large silver fillings for a more natural appearing smile.

Did ya know?

Great app for your kids!

Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond!

I LOVE PSYCHology!

I LOVE PSYCHology! But you would never know it, when you read my bio on this web site. Listen, most people are going into the helping fields with the wrong intentions and the wrong agenda. I would have choosen psychology as a field if it was represented by more people who agree with Dostoevski who say, "there is only one thing I dread, not to be worthy of my sufferings." In fact I chant this to myself each day when I am cleaning saliva off my glasses. Come to the office and see!! The Helping fields …This is medicine, dentistry, psychology, teaching, politics, maybe clergy or rabbi (but I must be careful there). Religion for me stands for VALUES… and that alone – represents something we REALLY need today more than ever. I love to question and re-calculate and re-consider what I do everyday. I absolutely refuse to be like everyone else who chooses the helping fields and chooses to be the dentist. And so I ponder each day what I am doing that is becoming complacent or self aggrandizing or secretly done so as to increase a feeling of inner self worth. I don't want to fix people… I want to create an atmosphere to help people so that they may find themselves already "fixed." I don't want to ever say - that I loved the words, "I told you so." Please don't let me say these words. I am a messenger committed by the love for what I do and NOT an all knowing god of dentistry. I am more concerned actually with emotions and much less with "Pure Reason." …pure dentist reason and knowing. And emotions set the stage for a person with a clear mind to make great decisions and possess true intuitive understanding. Emotions bring us to children… and for me children and the child in every adult is what I think we all should live for!!

If I could choose a branch of psychology I would go into developmental psychology, and if you visit my web site you will see Fred Rogers quotes pasted everywhere. He is beyond hero. He is in my mind the most beautiful celebrity mind - inside and out… that I can recall in my lifetime. I am crazy about child development. I am crazy about children in general. The highest form of spiritual development includes becoming MORE childlike!! So why didn't I go into pediatric dentistry? If I did… I would just talk all day about what I love – probably - and never get anything done. I would not be able to pay bills. Speaking of not getting anything done. Besides the adults …the ones we work with every day… are just children with more experiences.

Orange Dental is a busy office. Busy is good! Most know this intuitively, because at Orange Dental when you don't get seen for some time… people tend to give me 2nd and 3rd and 4th chances. I know this because I am still doing what I love and still employed as dentist and people still come back. Un-believable. Think about when you go to your favorite restaurant. When there is a line out the door, I know the food will be great and service even better!! On the slow days watch out. You can't get help if you holler for it. Food takes somehow 3 times longer to prepare… and delivered improperly seasoned, cold or overcooked. This applies at Orange Dental… in fact if I'm not busy I am not properly warmed up. Its counter intuitive, but when I am running hard THEN I am always running better. Better form. Better style - Better technique - And greatest energy!! So if you haven't seen the dentist… please stop worrying… and remember MOTIVATION comes AFTER action. Go take care of yourself and go take care of your values.

Sugar Content in Favorite Sweet Snacks

Do you know the sugar content of your kids' favorite sweets and candies?

Orange Dental Associates

Your doctor can be one of the most important people in anyone’s life. When they are doing their job, they are the premiere models and final arbiters of good values. The outcome of your treatment must reflect this. The late Fred Rogers wrote, "If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of.

There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." People do best when treated by those who act responsibly and in caring ways.

At Orange Dental we believe that the ability to love and be loved is supremely important and everything we do, strives to convey this all the time. Only then can we say, “Orange Dental – White Teeth and Happy Smiles.”

Composite Fillings: Orange Dental Associates

If you're unhappy with your smile because you have unattractive traditional silver-colored fillings, our tooth matching fillings can help you. Our cosmetic dentists will expertly match the color of your new filling to the color of your natural teeth. The result is a filling that is virtually undetectable to the eye.

At our Orlando dental office – convenient to Kissimmee and all Central Florida, composite fillings are made of a porcelain-like material that actually bonds to the tooth for a tight seal. They are strong and stain-resistant, and they are color-matched to the natural tooth, making them virtually "invisible." Composite fillings also lack the sensitivity that is often associated with silver amalgam fillings because they are bonded to the tooth. They are especially suited for smaller cavities and for patients who may be allergic to metal fillings. Contact our cosmetic dentistry office today to learn more.

Thank you Orlando for choosing us!

 From the team of Orange Dental Associates

Did you know?

5 ways to preserve your teeth as you age

For all intents and purposes, we really get only one shot to take care of our teeth.

The good news is, science and research have taken a front seat in dental education, making today's dentist savvy on "prevention" dentistry rather than the "drill, fill and bill" mentality of decades ago.

Things like adhesive dentistry, recalcification and dental implants have given dentists more options. But for many patients, it's a lot of information to process.

Here are five ways you can ensure that you hang on to your teeth as you age:

Educate yourself on dental care

Dentistry today has taken a much more conservative approach. But it can be hard to know what your options are. Here are some key points that you should know about dental treatment.

• Small cavities can be recalcified. Strong doses of fluoride, or something called MI Paste, applied directly to small cavities can actually recalcify or rebuild the enamel, removing the need for a filling.

5 things to do at the dentist's office

That said, the key to recalcification is early detection. Regular dental visits are crucial to early detection.

• Fillings, crowns or any dental restoration should be replaced or heavily scrutinized every eight years.

Some patients are of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" era. But the reasoning behind this advice is to eliminate the spread of recurrent cavities that lurk under dental restorations.

The longer you wait to replace dental restorations, the more problems you can run into. If the decay spreads undetected, it may eat up too much healthy tooth structure and need the support of a crown or reach the nerve and need a root canal.

• Make sure your children are getting fluoride treatments until at least the age of 15. Kids, especially, consume a lot of sugar, which breaks down into a biproduct of acid that erodes teeth, quickly causing cavities. Fluoride is a great treatment in rebuilding enamel and neutralizing those acids.

Use an electric toothbrush

In dentistry, the electric toothbrush has been one of the biggest advances in home dental care. Ninety-nine percent of patients don't really know how to brush with a manual brush and, more important, don't brush for the full two minutes needed.

The dental screening that could save your life

Electric toothbrushes remove the confusion and have a timer to ensure that the full brushing is done at each session. Improper brushing can lead to plaque buildup, swollen gums, cavities and overall poor oral health. The sonic brushes remove plaque and get into hard-to-reach places like in between teeth and under the gums to ensure a healthy mouth.

If you grind or clench, wear a night guard

Grinders can wear away a millimeter of tooth structure per year if undiagnosed. Clenchers may not see any immediate signs of wear on their teeth, but the pressure that clenching puts on your teeth is destructive. It slowly breaks down the supporting bone around the teeth, leading to gum recession, bone loss and inevitably tooth loss.

If you feel that you may fall into either of these categories, you should be wearing a night guard. It may not be sexy, but it's much sexier than missing teeth.

Know what oral hygiene regimen is right for you

Today, there has been a lot of money and research into better oral care products. But understand that there is an actual regimen of toothpaste, mouth rinse and "extra-care" products that's right for you.

The first step is defining what "type" of patient you are. I like to break it down into four basic types: cavity-prone, sensitive, stainers and those with bad gums.

Baby's teeth: What you should know

You can ask your dentist which category you fall into. Each product in the sea of dental products in the drugstore has key ingredients tailored for each category of patient. Using the right oral care products can make a big difference in the longevity of your teeth.

Choose the right dentist

Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- your dentist has a lot to do with the preservation of your teeth. Make sure your dentist is up on all current research and his office is updated and state-of-the-art, but most important, make sure your dentist is taking time and looking after you. It sounds simple, but it's probably the most important item on your checklist.

About Dr. Joe Shrager, DDS

In the beginning I wanted to be psychologist. I could not continue. In the end I would learn that psychology is a tool and not the end I was looking for. I wanted to improve lives and not second guess my effort to do so. Psychology seemed political. Its about giving care with the notion that one knows first what is truly in another’s best self interest. It must be, because what can you give if you don’t first have something TO give. The bankers know this. 6 billion truths for 6 billion people. Psychology is too vital and too all encompassing for someone (like myself) to question its purpose and protection for one’s individual inner peace. People just need to be loved. That's Dr. Shrager’s psychology. So... I abandoned psychology for my personal daemon –dentistry?! I must be a masochist. Self overcoming is my life’s greatest challenge, purpose and vision!! Like any father my greatest hope is to share my deepest and most treasured values that I have learned and acquired through my lifetime, with each and every person I contact in my line of work.

Nietzsche wrote "whoever has at some time built a ‘new heaven’ has found the power to do so only in his own hell.” I tell patients today that there cannot be anyone who feared the dentist more than me. I don’t think anyone really believes me when I say this. Its not a joke. Nobody laughs, but its true. Orange Dental is my idea of heaven-like dental experiences in Orlando!

Why teeth? I once wondered, the body heals by itself and our thoughts can heal themselves... but what of teeth? They just wear out and real hope is often only delivered on the wings of loving intervention. Dentistry is a concrete profession. There is a problem and a concrete remedy which - relative to so many endeavors is difficult (if not impossible) to question. But imagine if the treatment could be rendered by someone who truly wanted to help people. This help could go beyond the material care itself. This is the vision of Orange Dental.

Dr. Shrager’s vision.

There are so many people who want to effect a difference on the lives of others. When you choose your dentist, one must consider why their professional does what they do? Dr. shrager’s denistry – Orange Dental - is first, about you. I do good work, because YOU let me. I am first concerned about YOUR level of comfort and trust. I choose dentistry because I could not imagine anything where I could know better what it might feel like in another’s shoes. Helping others for me, is about feeling what others feel and one can only do this if they have both feet on the ground. The end result always favors those individuals who believe in what the doctor is doing. Its a 2 way street and trust and faith in the doctor, the office, the staff and the outcome is required. Are my feet on the ground? I don’t know... but I’m constantly making sure. Helping others is about taking personal responsibility for the future of everyone we touch – both
spiritually and dental-ly.

"At the center of the universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job....Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service.” –Fred Rogers

Dr. Steven Baxter, DDS

Undergraduate training at Yale University (New Haven, CT; Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, 1976), Dental School at Columbia University (New York, NY; DDS, 1985), Three years Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI; 1988.) Practiced in Columbus, Ohio for several years. Have been practicing in Florida since 1996. Married to Patricia, and have three children; two now in college and the third in high school. We love Disney, just wish we had more time to enjoy it.