Family Dentistry | Wiggle and Sun Shine

Children have their own language. So do dentists! Wiggle and sun shine, sleepy juice, Mr. Slurpee, Mr. Bumpy, wind, water, and many more. So why is a special language important? And what does it mean to have a tooth wiggled and have the sun shine? Well, read on…

Pain is the main motivator for many people visiting the dentist. No one wants to hurt, and everyone wants to feel better; fear is a close second, but pain typically tops the list. And pain is not simple.

When a child THINKS he is going to have pain, going to the dentist to treat a tooth becomes difficult; especially when the tooth is going to need an EXTRACTION! And you know what happens when a tooth needs an extraction? A SHOT! Add that all up and what you get is pain, pain, pain!

Connotation is how a word is perceived or how someone feels when a word is used. Although the term “extraction” is not too scary when used in casual conversations, the word can cause stress and fear when used to describe a dental procedure. The same goes for the word “shot.”

To combat the connotation attached to these scary words, dentistry uses terms like wiggle and sun shine to describe an extraction, and sleepy juice for an injection. Parents can use the same terms as well to make children feel more at ease with the dentist. After all, Mr. Slurpee (the suction), and Mr. Bumpy (a slow speed handpiece) are great people, and with the help of wind and water (air / water syringe) every dental visit should begin and end with a smile!