In order to give your child a positive experience in our office, we are selective in our use of words. We 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 | cold sprayer or sleepy juice |
| needle | cold sprayer tip |
| medicine | juice |
| drill | whistle |
| drill on teeth | clean the tooth, chase away sugar bugs |
| pull a tooth | wiggle a tooth |
| decay, cavity | sugar bug |
| examination | count teeth |
| tooth cleaning | tickle the teeth |
| dental pick(explorer) | tooth counter |
| rubber dam | rain coat |
| Isolite(instead of rubber dam) | squishy fish |
| gas | magic air, happy air, laughing air |
| 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. We appreciate your help!
