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My first dental visit was a nightmare. I was too young to understand what was going on and terribly frightened at being left alone with a strange man who wanted to poke around in my mouth with some horrible shiny instruments. He got angry and slapped me when I sobbed in pure fear, and he handed me back over to my Mother who had trustingly waited outside for me, with a cursory, "see you in six months time..."

I have paid for those 15 minutes of hell time and time again. It doesn't matter how gentle my dentist is, or how nice, or how professional or adept, I can never get over my abject fear of those shiny instruments. Even now, 43 years later, I have a terrible time at the dentist and I curse that horrible man that treated the child that I was, in such a heartless manner.

With this view, I was committed to making sure that my own children never had to suffer the same fear and loss of dignity that I underwent, and vowed that their own visit to the dentist would go as smoothly as possible.

Visiting the dentist is a bit like going to the hospital. You are surrounded by people who talk a different language, the atmosphere is sterile and clinical and you are putting your trust into another human being to look after you. Often enough the visit can be stressful and you are entering into a situation that you are going to lose a certain amount of autonomy.

It is so important that your child approaches the visit in as relaxed a manner as possible. This is why the first visit to the dentist is so important. Get it right and your child will never have to fear the "chair" ever. Get it wrong, and you may have to live with the fact that you child is going to be affected on a deep physiological level that may continue well into adulthood.

Fear comes from a lack of understanding, so it is very important to explain to the child what is going to happen. Some people choose to take their child on a preliminary visit when the first tooth appears. This is what I did with my own children.

The best place to start is with an orthopedic dentist. These are professionals who are geared up to looking after your children until the age of 17. They have facilities set up to making the place as child friendly and as relaxed as possible, with toys and books and puzzles etc, and a welcoming and serene atmosphere.

If you have been unable to book with this type of dentist, then an ordinary one will do just as well, you merely need a little more preparation. It is important to accustom your child to the

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