Pre-school Children (two to four years)

The term "the terrible twos" exists because this age group can be awkward to deal with (ask the parent of any two-year-old). The term "pre-cooperative" describes them perfectly. They have limited communication skills, are very dependent on their parents and do not play or share with others well. When they do speak, it is usually to say "No!" as this is their favorite word.

Because they cannot express themselves verbally, their common response to any upset is to cry. Their parents know that they cry when interrupted while playing, tired or hungry. However, parents may themselves be stressed during a dental visit, and it is important that they are helped to realize that tears for this group are often a normal part of the circumstances, not a sign that something is wrong.

To be successful with this group, the dentist must be quick (an attention span of less than five minutes is normal) and make use of the parents on whom the child remains dependent (see further, Chapter 2).