Dentists and Autism

Typically, most people are not fans of the dentist or his collection of tools. Not to mention the bright light they insist on shining in our face the whole time we are in their chair. What about when the dentist says open wide, and then we have to stay open for the next 30 minutes while they are yanking, pulling, cleaning or drilling?

Can you imagine then, what it is like for our autistic child, with his or her sensory issues? The smell, the noise, or even just the change in their daily
routine could be enough to set them off into a potential meltdown.

We need to be able to prepare our child, ourselves and the dentist of what may or may not happen, during a potential visit.

Talk to the dentist, and see if they would allow some of the comfort items during a visit; the blanket, an ipod to drown out some of the noise, even a pair of sunglasses to tone down the light in the face. Most dental offices today have a TV in the room, so maybe even time your appointment to coincide with a favorite TV program. If these ideas are not options and depending on what type of work may need to be done to your child's teeth, sedation may be recommended.

For the child, try and visit the dental office before hand. Maybe even arrange for a tour just to check it out. Watch for reactions as he or she hears the drills going in the offices. Is the smell to overpowering? Is the room kid friendly or is there too much on the walls? Is it over stimualting? You know your child the best, so do not be afraid to provide suggestions to the dentist on how to make the visit a little less stressful. If your child likes to read, visit your local library and see what kind of kids books they have about visiting the dentist. If social stories work for you, give them a try as well.

If you are in need of a dentist, or more specifically a pediatric dentist, one of our family members recommends going to the Children's Dental World in Winnipeg.

Good luck, and remember to brush and floss!!