Taking your autistic child to the dentist to have a cavity filled can be quite difficult. Many autistic children have sensory issues that make it quite difficult for them to be able to handle things that other children may have no problem handling. The feeling that your child may feel when their tooth is being drilled could cause them to go into a full blown meltdown. There are some things that you can do to make the experience a little less stressful for your child though. Use the following guide to learn how to help your autistic child handle their first filling as well as possible.
Prepare Your Child for the Procedure
Autistic children need to have things explained to them in terms that they understand. Using visual aids to help explain what is wrong with their tooth and what needs to be done to restore its health can help them understand what is going to be done to them during the appointment. Letting them know if you have had fillings and how the experience went for you may be able to help them gain confidence that the dentist will not hurt them.
Don't be Afraid of Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is a gas that some dentists use to help calm their patients before a procedure. It has been deemed safe to use for both adults and children to help them feel less anxiety when having their teeth worked on in a dentist's office. Many pediatric dentists have fun masks that the children wear when they are inhaling the gas. Bring a mirror with you to the appointment so that you can ease your child's anxiety by showing them how cool they look in their mask.
Be Present During the Procedure
When it is time to start the process of filling the tooth, you need to make sure that you are present physically, mentally, and emotionally. Hold your child's hand to help them feel comfortable during the stressful time. Talk to them and let them know they are doing a good job. Do not sit in a chair far away from him or her playing a game on your phone or wait in the waiting room for him or her to be finished.
You do not want your child to be afraid to go to the dentist. Anything you can do to help ease their anxiety should be done to ensure they are willing to go to the dentist, one like Myriam Cerezo DMD, on a regular basis.
Share13 April 2015
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.