Getting off to a good start with your dental provider sets the groundwork for you and your child to learn good lifelong oral health habits. By following all of these steps or some of them, will help identify the dental provider that will best meet the needs of your family.
Be honest with your child and make it a fun journey to the dentist. It might help to be creative and make story out of going to the dentist using stuffed animals, puppets, creative pictures, and singing some happy songs that can make it a happy experience.
1. Find out if opportunities are available for desensitization or educational visits. Many offices will allow you to visit prior to the scheduled appointment. During this session, the hygienist or dentist will engage with your child in the "Tell-Show-Do" technique encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Your child with autism, will see and learn about dental instruments, preparing him/her for how the instrument will be used during the dental appointment.
2. Ask if the dentist has experience serving children with special needs, such as autism. Many dentists participate in educational seminars addressing the needs of children who have anxiety or children who have other special needs, such as autism. Check to see if your dentist has completed any of this extensive credentialing.
3. Inquire about bringing comfort items for your child. A game, movie or stuffed animal can comfort your child during a dental visit. Check with your provider to determine their flexibility with the presence of the comfort of your child during the appointment.
4. Schedule the appointment so your child does not have to wait. Time spent in the waiting area can provoke anxiety for some children. Unexpected sounds, smells and people can create stress that carries over to the time of the child with the dental provider. Ask if your dental provider can accommodate the needs of your child, by guaranteeing that he or she will be able to skip the waiting room.
5. Ask if you can see the same professional and be treated in the same room. Many children have difficulty with transitions, and changes in environments. Maintaining the same provider or room can decrease the anxiety and difficulties associated with new places and people.
6. Discuss the medications that your child is using, and how they may affect his/her dental care. Medication interactions for children with special needs are an important matter. Be sure to discuss medications that your child is taking with your dental provider frequently.
These six steps you have just read, will help make your life become a little less frustrating and stressful, and assist you for the preparation, to choose your dental provider for an autistic child.
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information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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