The parents of children with special needs have a lot of things on their minds. Their routine is very hectic and busy. They have to do everything themselves for the child because the children are not capable of doing it. The parents have to be always with their child especially when there is a visit to the doctor.
There are many dentists who are capable of taking care of the oral health of the child. What if your children have special needs? Who will you go to? There are many dental clinics which have Kid’s Best Dentist to handle the child.
Strategies of Kid’s Best Dentist for Special Children:
As you know that special children are very different from normal kids because of their mental and physical growth and development is not complete. For example, it can be quite difficult to make children with ADHD go through long dentist appointments as it can make them anxious and stressed out. So a special set of skills is required to handle these children. The pediatric dentists use various tactics to make sure that the kid’s interest always stays there.
Freedom of Choice:
To give the children a sense of responsibility and confidence in them; the dentist and the team provide the child with a choice of selecting the toothpaste and brush of their own choice. This liberty is presented to the children in which they can choose whatever color, flavor and the brand; but on one condition that it contains fluoride. The design and make of the toothbrush must be appealing to the child.
Rewards are offered:
For every good hygiene approach and oral routine, the child can be given small rewards. The parents can give stars on doing what is good. When they have enough stars the parents can give them a big reward.
Make Brushing Fun:
Brushing the teeth without some entertainment can be very boring for adults even; so think how the child feels and especially those who are special will? So entertainment like music, poems and rhymes can be put on while doing the daily routine.
Educate them through AV Aids:
Audio and visual aid is a good way to teach oral and dental hygiene for children. Showing a movie about dental and oral health can be very beneficial for the child as well as the parents.
Appealing Design of the Clinic:
Have you ever observed a normal dental clinic? Do you find its design appealing? No right, so do you think that a child who is either physically or mentally under-developed will find it attractive? A dental clinic with a lot of color, diversified design, toys and books will allure the special children.
Role Modeling of the Dentist:
In order to teach the children the daily oral and dental routine; the dentists at a different clinic like Pediatric Dentist Tulsa perform the routines by themselves so that the children can repeat it. This is called role modeling.
Oral Problems in Special Children:
The children who are suffering from different mental and physical disorders have no idea that some habits are ruining their oral and dental health. Their teeth and gums are the most affected by their condition.
The eruption of the Teeth:
The kids whose growth rate is very slow to have their teeth eruption very late. The gums turn red or can have a bluish-purple color just prior to the teeth eruption. There are many factors that influence the growth structure of the jaw, genetics and muscular movement that contributes to this condition.
Different Sized Teeth:
Children who are with Down syndrome can have teeth of different shapes, sizes and numbers. There are two situations in this case; one is that the quantity of number becomes less and the other where extra teeth can grow.
Bruxism:
Teeth grinding is quite normal in children but this may become extreme when the child is suffering from severe brain damage and have uncontrolled reflexes. Bruxism causes the biting teeth to flatten completely.
Clutching the Food in Mouth:
Children who have the extreme mental disorder can keep food in their mouths for a long time. This can cause bacteria to grow and create cavities. On the other hand, there are kids who can’t hold the food in the mouth.
Tooth Decay:
The decay of the tooth occurs when there is constant vomiting; saliva is secreted less, medicine with sugar contents, or diet that contains special ingredients. This oral problem can be reduced with proper care and treatment.
Malocclusion:
In this case, the teeth are not aligned properly or are over-crowded. The children who are suffering from developmental diseases and muscle dysfunction have this issue and which remains throughout their lives.
Injury and Trauma:
The most common of all problems is when the child gets hurts and injures the teeth or any other part of the mouth. This happens especially to those who suffer from a seizure because they can easily fall if not held carefully.
Periodontal Diseases:
If the child is suffering from an immunity problem then it can lead to severe gum diseases. Constant cleaning of the mouth and teeth can prevent further damage.
Gingival Hyperplasia:
Kid’s Best Dentist will inform you about gum disease in which the gums can grow more around the teeth. The kids who take medication to cure seizures, immunity disorders and heart problems are more likely to have it.