As a parent you want your child to have the best possible start in life. One of the greatest gifts you can provide them is a positive experience in dental care—especially visiting the dentist.

Unfortunately, not all children are so lucky. Visiting the dentist for them is foreign and forbidding; it leaves such a negative impression they may avoid the dentist later in life even when faced with acute problems.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Here are 3 ways you can help your child have a great experience at the dentist.

Start dental visits early. The best time to begin dental visits is before your child’s first birthday as their teeth begin to erupt. Dental diseases like tooth decay can begin as early as two months so it’s vital to detect any problems as soon as possible. Establishing an early relationship with your child’s dentist benefits you too with helpful tips and advice from them on dental care at home. And, children visiting the dentist early are more likely to become accustomed to it as a routine part of life, and more likely to continue the habit on their own.

Find the right dentist. The right dental practice can make all the difference in the world for your child’s comfort level. Parents often choose a pediatric dentist who specializes not only in dental care for children and adolescents but in how to engage with them and put them at ease. The key, though, is to find a dentist and staff who work well with children and understand how to make them feel at home in their office.

Display a positive attitude. You’ve probably already noticed how your child picks up on your feelings in different situations—which often affect how they feel and act too. So be sure when you visit the dentist with them you have a positive, proactive attitude, ready to partner with their provider in treatment and prevention measures. And above all display a calm and relaxed manner: your child will be more apt to follow your cue and relax too.

If you would like more information on providing great dental care for your child, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Taking the Stress out of Dentistry for Kids.”

Mayim Bialik has spent a good part of her life in front of TV cameras: first as the child star of the hit comedy series Blossom, and more recently as Sheldon Cooper’s love interest — a nerdy neuroscientist — on The Big Bang Theory. (In between, she actually earned a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA…but that’s another story.) As a child, Bialik had a serious overbite — but with all her time on camera, braces were just not an option.

“I never had braces,” she recently told Dear Doctor – Dentistry & Oral Health magazine. “I was on TV at the time, and there weren’t a lot of creative solutions for kids who were on TV.” Instead, her orthodontist managed to straighten her teeth using retainers and headgear worn only at night.

Today, there are several virtually invisible options available to fix orthodontic issues — and you don’t have to be a child star to take advantage of them. In fact, both children and adults can benefit from these unobtrusive appliances.

Tooth colored braces are just like traditional metal braces, with one big difference: The brackets attached to teeth are made from a ceramic material that blends in with the natural color of teeth. All that’s visible is the thin archwire that runs horizontally across the teeth — and from a distance it’s hard to notice. Celebs like Tom Cruise and Faith Hill opted for this type of appliance.

Clear aligners are custom-made plastic trays that fit over the teeth. Each one, worn for about two weeks, moves the teeth just a bit; after several months, you’ll see a big change for the better in your smile. Best of all, clear aligners are virtually impossible to notice while you’re wearing them — which you’ll need to do for 22 hours each day. But you can remove them to eat, or for special occasions. Zac Efron and Katherine Heigl, among others, chose to wear clear aligners.

Lingual braces really are invisible. That’s because they go behind your teeth (on the tongue side), where they can’t be seen; otherwise they are similar to traditional metal braces. Lingual braces are placed on teeth differently, and wearing them often takes some getting used to at first. But those trade-offs are worth it for plenty of people. Which celebs wore lingual braces? Rumor has it that the list includes some top models, a well-known pop singer, and at least one British royal.

So what’s the best way to straighten your teeth and keep the orthodontic appliances unnoticeable? Just ask us! We’d be happy to help you choose the option that’s just right for you. You’ll get an individualized evaluation, a solution that fits your lifestyle — and a great-looking smile!

For more information about hard-to-see (or truly invisible) orthodontics, please contact our office or schedule a consultation. You can read more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Orthodontics for the Older Adult” and “Clear Aligners for Teenagers.”