A visit to the dentist can be a traumatic event for many people, but for an individual with special needs, there are often additional factors to be considered in order to make a dental appointment go as smoothly asnpossible. Furthermore, an excellent at-home oral care regimen becomes that much more important for a person with special needs in order to, whenever possible, prevent major dental work from becoming necessary in the first place.
I address this topic from a rather unique perspective in that I am not only a dentist who has many patients in my practice who have special needs, but I am also the father to Michael, my 19-year-old son who has severe Autism.
Choosing a Dentist
If you are looking for a dentist for yourself or for someone in your care where special needs are a consideration, here are some tips:
- Get a referral. Ask someone else who has similar experiences with your particular special needs, go to a relevant local agency, or ask your family doctor for a referral.
- Ask the prospective dentist if he or she has any experience treating an individual with the particular special need you are inquiring about. If so, find out what he or she does differently in order to make accommodations.
- Be up-front with the dentist and dental staff about any concerns you have and consider their feedback in terms of how they feel they could best address your circumstances.
- Find out if the dental office you are considering is equipped with the necessary physical devices and accommodations that may be necessary like wheelchair ramps, ample space in operatories to accommodate assistive devices, adjustable dental chairs, etc.
- Inquire as to whether the dentist you are considering is a very patient person and is genuinely interested in treating someone with special needs. Dr. Deskin himself is the father of a young man on the Autism Spectrum and therefore sees many patients who share his son’s diagnosis in that he has a great deal of first-hand experience interacting with autistic individuals.
Dentistry Asleep
I am always willing to try my hardest, but sometimes despite the best intentions and greatest efforts of all involved, dentistry may not be possible on an awake patient who has special needs. In these cases, I do not hesitate to make referrals to my very skilled and highly trained colleagues who specialize in sedation dentistry.
An Ounce of Prevention…
Of course, the best way to handle dealing with challenges related to dental work is to take extra-special care of teeth so extensive corrective procedures do not become necessary. Here are some tips to help you avoid potential dental-related complications:
- Maintain a healthy diet from a variety of food groups and avoid sugary drinks and foods, especially those that are sticky.
- Brush teeth after eating sugary or sticky foods like raisins.
- Rinse mouth or drink water after eating to clean teeth when brushing is not possible.
- Ask your dentist about sealants, which can go a long way in preventing cavities.
- Invest in an ultrasonic electric toothbrush. They do an excellent job cleaning teeth and are especially useful for people who have difficulty manipulating a toothbrush due to fine-motor challenges.
- Visit the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings and start these visits at a young age so the patient with special needs becomes accustomed to the office and well-acquainted with the dentist.
Steven Deskin is a Dentist in general practice and the father of an adult child on the Autism Spectrum.
