Photos to help you talk to your child about their dental visit
Caring for your child's teeth is an important part of their healthcare. This involves regular visits to the dentist for checkups. Some tamariki (children) may be nervous or scared about going to see a dental therapist.
These photos and words can help you talk to your child about what happens when they visit a dental therapist.
A story on visiting the dental therapist
Today I am visiting the dental therapist to get my teeth checked.
I will go inside and meet the person at the front desk. I will tell them my name.
I will take a seat and wait until the dental therapist is ready.
There may be books and toys to play with, or maybe even a television to watch.
The dental therapist will call my name out when it’s my turn to get my teeth checked.
I will follow the dental therapist to their office, I can take my family members with me.
The dental therapist will say hello and ask me to sit in a big chair
The big chair will lean back so the dental therapist can see inside my mouth
The dental therapist will wear a mask and a special gown to get ready to look at my teeth
My dental therapist will use special tools to check my teeth
I will open my mouth wide so the dentist can look at all of my teeth
I did a great job sitting still and opening my mouth for the dental therapist to look inside
We all say goodbye and I leave the way I came.
My visit to the dental therapist is all done. I will go back again when it's time for another check-up.
A video about visiting the dental therapist
This video joins AJ as he visits the community oral health service for a dental checkup.
transcribeTranscript
[Narrator]
Kia ora, I'm going to talk you through what happens when you visit us for a dental check.
When you arrive, come on into our waiting room and either ring the bell or if someone is in reception tell them you have arrived then take a seat.
One of the team will come out and greet you and take you to your own room where there are normal seats and the comfy dental chair that you can sit in for your dental checkup.
I will put a mask and gloves on to keep everything clean and then ask you some questions.
After you've sat in the chair I will lie the seat back to make it easier for me to see in your mouth.
I’ll give you some sunglasses to wear. I have a special light that will shine on your teeth. This makes it easier for me to look inside your mouth.
I use a tiny mirror to see inside your mouth and I'll show you the mirror first.
The mirror is so I can see the sides of your teeth right at the back.
I'll count your teeth: tahi, rua, toru, whā, rima, ono, whetu, waru, iwa, tekau.
And sometimes I'll clean them too.
Some of our tools make funny noises. This one is a suction which is like a little vacuum which helps to keep your mouth dry while I clean it with water.
We don't have to use this every time. If I need to know more about your teeth I will take an x-ray.
This machine takes a picture which shows me your teeth. Your whānau can come with you if you want them to watch.
The best part is that we put some yummy flavoured gel on your teeth with a really soft paint brush. This makes them extra strong.
When the therapist is finished and sits you back up you can then ask some questions and you get to choose a sticker.
We will talk to your caregiver to let them know if you need to come back soon. If you came in by yourself we will send a letter home to your whānu to let them know.
Otherwise we will see you next year for another checkup. In the meantime don't forget the top tip:
Drink water when you're thirsty.
Brush your teeth twice a day.
Spit don't rinse after brushing.
Ka kite.
Acknowledgements
Our thanks to the Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service for permission to reproduce these photos from their resource 'My visit to the dentist'.
