Tips for dental care for kids with special needs
Taking care of your child’s teeth is essential, but it can be more challenging if your child has special needs. Children with special needs may be extra sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, and unfamiliar smells at the dentist’s office, making dental visits and daily tooth care more difficult for them. To better help parents and kids get the needed care with less stress, I will share some ideas with you regarding how to manage these challenges.
Dealing with Smells
Dental offices have their own smell that we dental professionals do not notice anymore. The scents of cleaning and dental products combine to make the unique “dental office” smell, which can be a sensory trigger for some children. While we can’t remove all the scents, here are some tips:
- Bring Familiar Scents: If your child has a toothpaste they like, bring it with you. We can open it so they can smell it during the appointment and even use it to polish their teeth.
- Use a Mask: Your child can wear a mask while waiting, which might help block out some of the smells.
- Avoid Strong Perfumes: Don’t wear strong perfumes or scents, as they might bother your child or others.
Managing Bright Lights
The bright lights at the dentist’s office can be uncomfortable for some children. To help with this:
- Sunglasses: We provide sunglasses for our patients, and if needed, we can cover them with a small towel to block even more light.
- Dimmed Lights: Some rooms have dimmable lights. Ask if we can lower them during your visit.
Reducing Noises
The sounds in a dental office, like drills, can be overwhelming. Here are some ways to make it more bearable:
- White Noise: Ask if we can use a white noise machine or a quieter external suction machine to help drown out uncomfortable noises like the dental drill.
- Headphones: Your child can wear headphones to listen to music or audiobooks, which can block out other noises.
- Quieter Tools: Ask if we can use a cordless polisher, which is quieter than the usual one. If that’s still too loud, we can use a regular toothbrush.
Taming Textures
The mouth experiences the most sensations compared to the rest of the body so that a dental visit can be challenging for someone highly sensitive to textures and tastes. I get this. I do not like the texture of pears. I have tried a variety of them but can’t eat a pear due to the texture. Here’s what you can do:
- Bring Favorite Toothpaste: The dental paste used to polish teeth is abrasive and feels like sand in your mouth. If your child has a favorite toothpaste, bring it along, and we can use it instead of the usual paste.
Using Distractions
Distractions can help keep your child calm during a dental visit. Some ideas include:
- Favorite Toy: Let your child hold a favorite toy during the visit.
- Mirror Watching: Some kids like to hold a mirror and watch what’s happening.
- Weighted Blanket: A weighted blanket can also provide comfort.
Start Dental Care Early
For children with special needs, it’s especially important to start oral care early. This gives them more time to get used to the smells and feeling of tooth brushing and oral care. Begin by gently wiping their cheeks, gums, tongue, and the roof of the mouth before their teeth come in so they get used to the feeling. Once they have teeth try:
- Experiment: Try brushing your child’s teeth with or without toothpaste, and see what works best.
- Favorite Flavor: Find a toothpaste flavor (or unflavored) they like. Use only a tiny dab of toothpaste if they’re under three or can’t spit it out yet.
- Distraction: Brush your child’s teeth in the bathtub or offer them something to hold while you brush.
Getting Comfortable with the Dentist
To help your child feel comfortable, making the dentist’s office a familiar place is important.
- Early & Often: Start taking your child to the dentist every six months, even just to sit in the waiting room or take a quick tour. This helps them get used to the environment and the friendly people.
- Ask for What You Need: Call ahead to explain your child’s needs and see if the office can accommodate them.
- Play Dentist at Home: You can ask to take some dental items home to practice with, like the suction tip, gauze, or a disposable mirror.
- Show & Tell: Ask the dental provider to explain every step of the procedure. Sometimes, visual aids that show the procedure, like posters or a book, can be helpful.
- Start Small: You can also ask them to do the easiest procedure first on the first visit. Your child may only sit in the chair for a few minutes, but over time, they can work up to an entire appointment.
- Signals: Asking the provider to have a signal that your child can use to ask them to stop if they need to take a break can work wonders for helping them feel in control.
- Be Positive: Don’t share your bad experiences or give your child any reason to fear the dentist or oral care.
While children with special needs may face extra challenges when it comes to oral care and dental visits, these challenges can be managed with the right strategies. By understanding your child’s unique needs and working closely with dental professionals, you can help your child get oral health care that is more stress-free and comfortable.