Managing Distress at the Dentist

Indy's Child Magazine

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Managing Distress at the Dentist

When my toddler developed an unexplained fear of going to the dentist, I made her upcoming appointment with a specialty pediatric dentist hoping to quell her anxiety. Over the next two years, we tried three different dentists. One required me to physically restrain my daughter while her mouth was pried open. Another was so patient that my daughter sat with mouth firmly closed for more than an hour while multiple people tried to coax her to show …