Dentist Karen Chu Fun Parenting Tip
Getting ready for the fall dentist check up with your toddler or pre-school age child?
Time To Play Dentist!
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| Dentist Karen Chu Fun Parenting Tip - Time To Play Dentist! |
One of the more fun ways parents can prepare their toddlers for early dental check ups is to role play the dental visit with them.
Kids love playing out life situations. From tea parties to dress up, a toddler (or any young child) loves to role play being and adult and especially to do so with adults.
There are several ways you can structure the game. The best results are most likely to be achieved if you run through all of the possible scenarios below -- since that will give your baby a more well rounded frame of reference. And, as with all children's learning, a vital key is repetition.
You can be the dentist while baby is your assistant.
Baby's favorite doll or stuffed animal can be the first dental patient.
Then you can be the patient while brother or sister (be sure and tell them they have to make it fun or pleasant before starting... you know kids and their often quirky sense of humor!) is the dentist.
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| Siblings can join in the fun |
Remember to end up with your young child or toddler to taking their a turn as patient at the practice dentist's visit even if they took a turn in the middle rounds of the role plying.
Equipment ideas you can use for play:
Here are some ideas for props you can use in this play time. You can use as few or as many as makes the game fun and easy for you to play 'Dentist Visit' with your child.
Setting the stage
- Some clear goggles or sunglasses
- A medical or painters mask for over the nose and mouth
- Any smock like top or pajama top in a green or blue that looks similar to medical scrubs (or a medical scrubs top if you have one) for the "dentist". Another alternative for the "dentist" outfit is any white jacket or smock
- A bib or apron to spread over the "patient"
- Disposable gloves (kids always find these fun)
- A reclining chair is great is you have one!
Props for the action
- A flash light or pen light to look in mouth
- A large plastic turkey baster is great for the "dental tools". It has a blunt tip that allows lightly touching each tooth but is too big and bulky to be a choking hazard. In addition, it can emulate the suction tool -- so it gives two tools for role play in one!
- A toothbrush to demonstrate how to brush (and as stand in for tooth cleaning)
- A paper cup to pretend to spit into
- A mirror to show the patient their smile at the end
Another other item people sometimes use:
A toy or real stethoscope (although it is not really dental, kids associate them with all things medical so it can add an additional flair if you like)
I would love to hear from you about some of the "props" YOU come up with for your toddlers pretend play time dental visit games!
Dr Karen Chu is
a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable
taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental
care and daily dental habits and routines.
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