Every Tuesday, our panel of local experts will answer your questions about your kid's health, your health, fitness, nutrition and child development.

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This week, Michael Milano, clinical associate professor and director of the pediatric dentistry graduate program at UNC-Chapel Hill's school of dentistry, answers a reader's question about a first visit to the dentist.

OK, it's my question. I just took my daughter to the dentist for the first time and have been stressing out about her teeth since she was a baby. Then again, I dressed up as a tube of toothpaste and a box of dental floss for a couple of years for Halloween as a kid and have never had a cavity. I'm a little obsessed when it comes to teeth. She passed with flying colors.

The Question: My three-year-old is scheduled for her first dentist's appointment. How can I get her ready for it?

Milano responds: This is a question we are often asked since it is natural for parents to want to prepare their children for new experiences. The role that a parent plays in this preparation is very important and can help set the stage for a successful and enjoyable first visit for both you and your child.

In preparing your three-year-old child for their first dentist vist, there are a few points you should keep in mind.

Try to paint a positive picture of his first visit. Emphasize how this visit will be fun and enjoyable. If you as a parent are anxious when you visit your own dentist, this anxiety can be recognized by your child and have a negative impact on their impression of their first visit.

It is fine to talk to your child about things you know will take place during the first visit ("the dentist will count your teeth"), but try to avoid absolutes. For example, if you tell your child that the dentist is "only going to count" their teeth, but the dentist decides x-rays are needed also, your child may feel that they have been lied to by the dentist or even worse, their parent. It would be best to be somewhat vague in your explanations. It is fine to tell your child that you don't know everything the dentist will need to do, but that you and your child will ask the dentist when you are at the dental office.

It is also best to avoid certain fear-provoking words or concepts. For example, if you tell your child that getting their teeth counted by the dentist will not hurt, your child may worry about getting hurt by the dentist. As dentists, we explain dental procedures using age-appropriate words that they will understand but will not be frightening to them.

Finally, if your child is already anxious about the dental visit, you should give them reassurance (which you, as their parent, are an expert at doing) and leave the explanation of the visit to the dentist.

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