My twelve year old has suddenly developed a fear of the dentist. She has a panic attack every time it is time to go. I have always been in her dental appointments with her and she’s never had anything bad happen to her. In all honesty, she’s been developing more and more anxiety as she gets older. I know I need to find a solution, but one thing I need to deal with practically right now is to get her teeth dealt with. I know she has at least one cavity.
Penny
Dear Penny,
That is a hard age. Everything about their life is changing. They have a foot in the teenage world and a foot still in their child world. Their hormones are going nuts. They are trying to figure out who they are and what they believe. It is a confusing time. You are right that you do need to get her teeth taken care of. You do not want her developing a dental emergency, which will give her a traumatic appointment.
My suggestion is you find a pediatric dentist who also offers dental sedation. At this point, given her anxiety, she will need oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill that she will take before her appointment. The medication will completely relax her. In fact, she will likely completely sleep through her appointment. This will allow her to get her cavity taken care of without any trauma. Then, as she grows out of her anxiety she may be fine with just nitrous oxide.
These are tough years, but you can get through them.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.