If you run a family or pediatric dentistry practice, then you already know how restless kids can get during their appointments. While you no doubt understand their squirminess, you also need to find ways to keep it to a minimum so that you can do your job well, and one of the most tried and true methods of encouraging kids to stay calm and behave themselves during dental visits is offering prizes for good behavior.
Our team here at Triangle Treasure Toys specializes in providing these dental patient rewards, and we have some insights to offer about how to choose rewards that effectively motivate children. In this article, we’ll go over a few things to keep in mind in order to select the best rewards for your young patients.
- Choice is Key- Some practices offer stickers as dental patient rewards, and while this may seem sufficient, we encourage you to branch out and include more options. According to one study that recorded the reward choices of kids of all ages, no children took the stickers when more exciting options were available. If you want to reward and encourage good behavior, you need to include a range of options that will actually appeal to your patients.
- Keep Age in Mind- Another thing to consider when selecting dental patient rewards for your office is the significant effect that age plays on children’s tastes and prize preferences. If you want to encourage patients of all ages to behave well, you’ll need to stock appropriate prizes for multiple age groups. Younger kids generally prefer toys such as dinosaurs and ninja figures, but older kids may be more interested in balls or jewelry selections.
- Appeal to All Genders- In general, it’s a good idea to include dental patient rewards that appeal to traditionally “girly” and “boyish” sensibilities, as well as options that appeal to both. For example, one dental practice may offer both princess and pirate-themed prize options, as well as gender-neutral ones such as toy animals and bouncy balls.