One of the most challenging experiences that children have to go through are visits to the dentist. The experience can be more challenging when your child has autism or other health conditions. A regular dentist may not have the skill and training needed to handle a special needs child.
Sadly, if their visit is handled poorly, the experience will embed itself in your child's mind, and they will become even more reserved about visiting the dentist. It is advisable to hire a specially trained dentist to handle your special needs child. Here are the three benefits you should expect from going to a special needs dentist.
1. They Will Handle your Child at a Slower Pace
Sometimes, regular dentists schedule their patients back-to-back because they don't expect challenges with the patient. If your child is slotted in between two others, and they start experiencing difficulties, they might get handled with impatience, reducing the quality of their experience and compromising the outcome.
Special needs dentists understand all these challenges. They schedule appointments to handle the patient as slowly and as gently as possible. This reduces the possibility of your child getting aggressive, which improves the quality of the outcome.
2. They Have the Needed Psychological Preparedness
Many dentists who handle kids with special needs have gone through additional schooling on the psychology of the children. They understand the gestures that will tick a child with autism which may lead to a fit of aggression. The dentist also understands the gestures, motions, and other steps to take to assure the child that the dentist's chair is a safe environment. They will have an easier time getting your child to calm down for the experience than the regular dentist.
They also make sure that the safest alternatives are used when handling your child's teeth, to minimize pain and other struggles.
3. They Offer Sedation Dentistry
In most cases, talking nicely and being kind to your child might not get them to calm down for a certain dental procedure. Special needs dentists understand this, and they always have sedation dentistry as an alternative.
If they gauge the situation and determine that your child might not be in a position to handle the procedure without sedation, they may administer the sedative.
These are the benefits that come with seeing a dentist who has specialized in special needs children. Remember to check their training and experience before visiting them as it will determine how successful your child's visit will be.
Up until a year ago, I did my best to keep my teeth and gums clean. But after securing a new job, I began to work late into the night and didn't have the time or energy to brush and floss before I retired to bed. My busy schedule and poor dental hygiene finally affected my teeth and gums. After experiencing severe pain in several of my teeth, I made an appointment with my dentist. My dentist examined my mouth and discovered three large cavities in my molars. After four long weeks, my dentist finally completed my dental work. I learned a very painful lesson during that time. No matter how busy you are, always brush and floss. I started this blog to inform other people about the importance of good dental care. I hope you find the time to read it. Thanks for visiting.