Throughout childhood, it’s important that kids routinely visit the dentist. If you’re the parent of a child with special needs, you may be hesitant to schedule office visits. However, special needs children may have habits that can affect their teeth, and regular dental examinations are especially critical for their overall health.
Fortunately, quality child dentistry creates a compassionate environment that meets the needs of your child. In fact, with proper information, preparation, and techniques, your special needs kid can enjoy their dentist visit. Here is some of our best advice for providing your special needs child with the best dentist experience possible.
Keep the Office Informed of Special Needs
When you call to schedule your special needs kid’s dental visit, please inform our office staff of any circumstances or accommodations your child might need. We welcome information about emotional, behavioral, and physical needs.
We are happy to make accommodations to ensure your child enjoys their visit!
Share Your Special Needs Kid’s Health History
Child dentistry considers more than just a child’s teeth. Keeping your dentist updated on your child’s health history can help us effectively prepare for an office visit.
Some examples of information to share include teeth grinding, nail-biting, chewing on objects, or medications. With this knowledge in advance, we can address problems more comfortably with you and your child and offer additional dental services such as fluoride or sealants to protect your child’s teeth.
Discuss Options for Calming Techniques
Some children experience extreme anxiety about dentist visits. This can be especially true for special needs kids. It usually helps to share books or videos about the dentist with your child. But we understand that sometimes, severe dental phobia can best be handled with pediatric sedation.
With sedation, your child can experience a calm and soothing office visit instead of a fearful one. We have a few types of sedation available, so please talk to us if you think this is the best option for your child.
We Can Meet Your Child’s Needs
Special needs children have a special place in our practice. We want them to feel comfortable and enjoy their visit, and we welcome all communication with you and your child that can help us meet their needs. Contact Healthy Smiles Children’s Dentistry about an appointment for your special needs kid today.