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How Trauma-Informed Pediatric Care Protects Children

Mother Hugging Daughter in Comfort

At some point during our life, we’re bound to experience traumatic events that leave a mark on us. These events are hard enough when we’re adults with coping skills that help us manage our experiences. Children who go through traumatizing events typically lack these coping mechanisms and may struggle with communicating their experiences. Of all the areas of our life that trauma can impact can be found in medical care, including dental care. Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry ensures that our providers are up to date with the latest trauma-informed pediatric care guidelines.

How We Provide Trauma-Informed Pediatric Dental Care

Trauma-informed pediatric care is the product of the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress. This organization was founded 20 years ago with the goal of providing healthcare providers with the tools to help young patients who have experienced trauma. Through their research and growing understanding of pediatric trauma, they were able to build effective techniques for healthcare providers. Using these techniques, dentists are able to respond to the impact trauma has on delivering care and set their patients at ease.

Trauma is a term that means different things to different people. What qualifies as traumatic varies from patient to patient. Some may have acute fear associated with the sound of a dental drill, while others may not be phased by it at all. The origins of trauma are intensely personal and are typically based off of experiences associated with the trigger. Consider some of the following sources of trauma:

  • Hearing myths about the painful nature of the dental drill, often in the context of bullying.
  • Previous unpleasant experiences with dental visits, such as having a tooth pulled.
  • Seeing the aftermath of a dental procedure cause discomfort, such as wisdom tooth extraction.
  • The anxiety and stress associated with anticipating receiving a shot or vaccination.
  • Severe accidents that cause anxiety or fear about healthcare environments.

Trauma-informed pediatric care education helps our team of professionals work with your child to ease their fears and complete their care. This education is the result of classes and educational materials produced by the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress. Person-to-person educational sessions combine with access to abundant online materials to keep healthcare providers up to date. If you know, your child has anxiety about receiving medical or dental care, speak to your healthcare provider. They’ll be able to let you know if they’re up to date on the latest trauma-informed care protocols and how they help your child.

Contact Our Pediatric Dental Team To Schedule An Appointment

Here at Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry, we make providing a supporting and welcoming environment a priority of our standards of care. Staying up to date with trauma-informed care techniques is just one way we ensure your child looks forward to oral healthcare. Call our Noblesville, IN, offices at (317) 773-KIDS(5437) to schedule an appointment. During your visit, you’ll meet with a member of our team to discuss your child’s concerns with receiving dental care and discuss options for ensuring their experience is great.