New Parents 101: How to get your kid to open his mouth at the dentist

Dental appointments rank somewhere near the very bottom of my list when it comes to Favourite Things to Do. Dental appointments for my little two-and-a-bit year old are ranked even lower. When talking with my mummy friends, all but one admitted that they had probs getting their toddlers to open their mouths for the dentist. We don't because we have a Secret Method.

It is very simple really.

I just hold Connor's nose tightly. The law of self-preservation means that he will immediately open his mouth so that he can breathe. Ta-dah! Dentist, you can do your work now!

This method works best if your child has a big nose. Unfortunately, Connor has a cute little nub of a nose and sometimes I lose my grip on it.

Enter Method Two but this requires the presence of Dear Hubby.

He simply grabs Connor and swings him upside down. Connor loves this and always, always bursts out laughing when we do it to him. When he laughs, his mouth is wide open... geddit? The plus point of this method is that it makes dental visits fun. If there is ever such a thing.

We go to Dr Kok Yuen Pin. She's in the new office buildings along Lorong Maarof (the one that's connected to the LRT station), next to Menara Maybank. She's on the side that's facing Lorong Maarof. If you'd like an appointment for you or your toddler, call her at 03-2288 1612.