In an effort to give your child a positive experience in our office, we are selective in our use of words. We try to avoid words that might worry the child due to previous experiences. Please support us by NOT USING negative words. Use positive words when talking about your child’s appointment.
| Don't Use | Our Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Shot / sprayer | Sleepy juice |
| Needle | Sprayer tip |
| Medicine | Juice |
| A drill | A whistle |
| Drill on teeth / clean a tooth | Chase away sugar bugs |
| Pull a tooth | Wiggle a tooth |
| Decay or cavity | Sugar bug or tooth bug |
| Examination | Count teeth |
| Tooth cleaning | Tickle the teeth |
| Dental pick (explorer) | Tooth counter |
| Rubber dam | Raincoat |
| Gas | Magic air or laughing gas |
| Suction | Straw |
| Water / air sprayer | Squirt gun |
This will also help you understand our terminology when using our behavior guidance technique of “tell, show, do” with your child during the appointment.
Our intention is not to “fool” the child, but rather to create an experience that is positive.
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