Assessing younger children
Helping the younger child with an examination
This technique can be used to facilitate examination of a young child. The parent/carer sits on a chair with the child sitting on their lap facing them (i.e. you do not use the dental chair).
Image shows child on parent’s knee with head on clinician’s lap for examination.
In a relaxed and smiling manner, explain that:
- the parent/carer will sit the child towards them and hold their hands while lowering the child’s head into the clinician’s lap
- the parent/carer should keep looking at the child and continue to smile
- most young children do not like to be held still and may cry a little, but this is likely to stop as soon as you sit him/her up and let the parent/carer cuddle them
Help the parent/carer to lower the child’s head onto the clinician’s lap.
Have the parent/carer hold the child’s hands while you carry out the examination. Continue to smile and to talk gently to the child telling them how well they are doing.
As you use a mirror to examine the mouth, allow the parent/carer to look at the teeth too.
At the end of the examination encourage the parent/carer to give the child a cuddle.