at Riverside Dental Group have witnessed firsthand the influence parents have on their children. Particularly with little ones who are first time visitors to our office, it is imperative that parents model positive attitudes about dental checkups and cleanings.
Research on Children’s Dental Fears
Almost all of us have certain natural fears of the unknown. Remember your first day of school, or going to a job interview. You may even have memories of extreme anxiety over going to the dentist. If you have anxiety over dental visits, or a full blown dental phobia, biannual preventive checkups might be a pretty hard sell to your impressionable children. You may even think that you’re hiding your own feelings of fear from your child. However, a Spanish study showed that even feelings can be recognized by children as they watch their role models in action. The Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid was the site of research responsible for showing this compelling link between parents and children’s fears.
Fathers are Especially Influential
Particularly implicated in fear feelings are the patriarchs of families. The research results were published in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. Based on information collected from 183 children between 7 and 12 in Madrid, fear levels between children and parents were clearly intertwined. Fathers were labeled as a “mediating variable,” setting the tone for the entire family’s emotional reactions.
Visit your Riverside Pediatric Dentists
As a parent, you have the power to set the tone for your children when it comes their feelings about going to the dentist. Help them feel positive by projecting excitement over how great they’ll feel with a healthy smile. To make an appointment with your Riverside pediatric dentists at our 92504 dentist office, call (951) 689-5031. We welcome patients of all ages from Riverside and surrounding areas.
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