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Going to the Dentist

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. A dentist check-upToday I am going to the dentist to have my teeth checked.
  2. I might feel nervousI might feel nervous, curious or worried.
  3. The big chairI sit in a big chair, and it tips back slowly.
  4. Counting my teethThe dentist counts my teeth and looks at them with a tiny mirror.
  5. My stop signalBefore we start, we agree on a stop signal: I put my hand up.

    I can say: “Hand up means stop.”

  6. Helping my body in the chairWhile I’m in the chair, I can help my body.

    I could try… Squeeze my hands, then let go · Count slowly · Hold my calm-down thing

  7. I can ask what’s nextI can ask what will happen next.

    I can say: “What are you doing next?”

  8. Nervous is okayIt’s okay to feel nervous, and it’s okay to need a pause.
  9. All finishedWhen the check-up is finished, I can do something I enjoy.
  10. It gets easierEach time I go, I know the dentist a little better.
  11. I am learningI am learning. I can feel proud that I went.

I can remember

  • It’s okay to feel nervous.
  • My hand up means stop.
  • I can ask what happens next.
  • If something hurts, I tell a grown-up.
  • I can feel proud that I went.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

What really happens at a dental check-up — the tipping chair, the light, counting teeth — that feeling nervous is allowed, and that the child has a real stop signal and can ask what comes next.

When to use it

  • A few days before a dental check-up, and again the morning of it.
  • In the waiting room, if your child finds that helpful.
  • Before a doctor’s or eye appointment — much of it fits those too.

For this story

  • Agree the hand-up signal with the dentist yourself before they start, and make sure it is honoured. If it isn’t, the story stops being true for your child.
  • Ask about sunglasses for the bright light, headphones for the noise, or a first visit that only looks.
  • If your child says something hurts, take it seriously and tell the dentist. A child should never be told to just put up with pain.

How to use it

  • Read it together on a calm day, not mid-meltdown. In the hard moment itself, fewer words help more: stay close, keep everyone safe, and save the story for later.
  • Read it again just before a tricky moment you can see coming: on the way to the park, the night before a haircut.
  • Make it fit your child: skip pages, stop when they’ve had enough, swap a detail as you read so it matches your child’s day, or read only the “I can remember” card.
  • Add your child’s first name on the story’s opening page and it appears in a line or two. The name stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
  • Use the story’s words in real life (“No means not right now”), and model them when you hear “no” too.
  • Notice tries, not perfect calm. Big feelings are allowed; the story is about what to do with them.

Good to know

  • These stories are for everyday disappointments and changes. They never mean a child should put up with pain, fear, unsafe touch, bullying or anything that hurts — telling a trusted adult is always the right answer there.
  • Nothing here asks a child to make eye contact, hug anyone — family included — stop stimming or stop crying. Crying and moving are ways bodies cope, and headphones or a break are always allowed.
  • Where a story says a grown-up will do something — stop when a hand goes up, give a warning, keep a “later” spot — make sure it really happens, or change that page. A signal that isn’t honoured teaches a child their words don’t work.
  • The aim is understanding and choices, not a quiet or compliant child. Asking “why?”, saying no to touch and disagreeing in words are skills to welcome.
  • Visual stories help many children and not every child. Adapt, skip or change any page. This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.