"My son would rather have a mouth full of cavities - and the pain that goes with it - than go to the dentist. Are there ways to help a child with Aspergers become less fearful of dental work?"
Children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism have the same rate of dental problems as the general population. As hard as it is for most children to go to the dentist, it’s even harder to have a positive dental experience for kids on the spectrum. Even so, there are some things you can do to improve the dental experience for your child.
Below are some tips. Some will work - some won't. But everything here is worth a try:
- Visit the dentist’s office before an actual visit.
- Have the child touch the equipment.
- Explain to the child what will happen.
- Have the child bring a comfort item like a favorite toy or blanket.
- It is a good idea to have a gradual and slow exposure to the environment of the dental office so your child doesn’t get frightened by the experience.
- Make sure you tell the dentist how best to handle your child.
- Tell the dentist what works and what doesn’t work when working with your child.
- Remind the dentist that children with Aspergers are more easily overwhelmed by an overload of the senses, which can over-stimulate the child.
- Ask that the dentist keep the chaos in the office to a minimum.
- Make the child’s first visit to the dentist positive and short; have the dentist count the teeth or something else innocuous.
- Ask that the dentist approach the child as quietly and as non-threatening as possible.
- Have the dentist explain everything to the child and show the child what’s going to happen before actually doing it.
- Praise the child for acceptable behavior and have the child sit in the dental chair for awhile so he/she can become accustomed to it.
- Aspergers children want to know what’s coming next without having to be surprised, so have the dentist tell the child where and why he needs to touch the child, especially if you’re dealing with dental equipment.
- Ask that the dentist talk calmly and avoids words that have double meanings; these children take everything literally, so it’s important to say exactly what you mean.
- Ask the dentist to start the exam using only his/her fingers.
- Ask the dentist to avoid shining the light in the child's eyes.
- Using a toothbrush to examine the teeth is a good idea because it’s a safe, familiar item. The dentist can use a dental mirror after that.
- Ask if you can hold your child’s hand during the dental examination.
- Anything that is familiar will make for a good experience.
- Some Aspergers children respond well to being lightly wrapped in a small blanket during the examination. In other cases, the child will need sedation or will need to undergo general anaesthesia in order to accomplish any significant dental work. General anaesthesia is especially important in older children that don’t respond well, even to light sedation.
- You may want to preview this social story and see if it might help alleviate some anxiety in your child as it relates to dentist visits. This is a true story told by the autistic child himself.
Good luck!
The Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook
8 comments:
Same thing here. It has to do with the sensory issue, more than any fear.
My son for the first time was 9 when he finally went and that's is his obsession with not losing his teeth.
One thing I WILL not do is take my son to a dentist who uses physical restraints. I'd rather my son miss an appt than be scared half to death by a dentist who uses those papoose boards! Luckily my dentist doesn't at least to my knowledge. I always go in with my son. I've heard a lot about these devices lately.
I used music. My son has to have a Zune with Toby Keith playing and he is great!
Please let parents know to always stay w/their children at all Dr. visits. Our children are very misunderstood and are sometimes considered defiant or difficult but we all know that is not true. I finally found a special needs pediatric dentist. It was costly but worth it!
From the article: "Some Aspergers children respond well to being lightly wrapped in a small blanket during the examination..."
The American Dental Association (ADA) notes that the AAPD guidelines state when stabilization is used, it should always be the least restrictive, but safe and effective. In addition, parental permission must be obtained prior to using a papoose board and noted in the child’s dental record along with the length of time the papoose board was used and how the child behaved during its use. AAPD indicates that the use of a papoose board might be indicated when: (a) patients require immediate diagnosis and/or limited treatment and cannot cooperate due to lack of maturity or mental or physical disability; (b) the safety of the patient, dental staff, or parent would be at risk; (c) movement of sedated patients needs to be reduced.
Also, ask the dentist and hygienist to do the treatment and exams in a more upright position. Tipping the head back in a reclined position increases anxiety for many children with ASD due to the hyper responsivuty of the vestibular system.
Also, ask the hygienist and dentist to do the treatment and exam in a more upright position. Being fully reclined with the head tipped back creates an autonomic nervous system response for many ASD kids due to the hyperesponsivity of the vestibular system. Try allowing the child to use the controls to tip himself back.
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