Dental Care Tips for Children with Special Needs

1. 5 Dental Care Tips for Children With Special Needs

2. Children With Special Needs • Children with special needs require more help, attention, and patience in caring for their teeth. • Your support and guidance as their parent helps ensure a positive dental experience for them. • Practicing with them at home and familiarizing them with the sights and sounds in the dental office will help a lot. 

3. Here are more Dental Care Tips for Children With Special Needs:

4. Teach Them Dental Words • Introduce your children to dental-related words, such as toothpaste, toothbrush, and dental floss. Show them how these objects work and what they’re for. • If you have older children, you can move to teaching them about the parts of the mouth. You may use educational videos, drawing boards, flash cards, or even their toys to capture their attention and make learning as fun and interesting as possible. • Be careful so as not to overload them. The goal is to help them understand what’s going on.

5. Prepare Kids for Brushing • Mimic how it feels to brush your teeth. Start by giving your little ones a massage at the back of their head. As they begin to feel comfortable with the gentle pressure, you can move to their cheeks and chin. • You can use a warm washcloth first until they allow you to touch their teeth. • Once they get used to you cleaning their mouth, you can proceed to using a toothbrush (that they chose themselves) and applying a pea-sized toothpaste

6. Don’t Get Too Fixated On A Routine • Special needs for children will have their way of doing things. Let them tell you where they want to brush their teeth. • Don’t get too fixated on a specific routine. They may choose to brush in their playroom, prefer to clean their tongue first, or brush with you. • The goal is to customise the experience to match your children’s preferences. 

7. Choose The Right Dentist • If you are yet to choose a dentist or dental office, contact the team to verify if they’re accommodating young patients with special children. • It’s okay to share information about your child’s condition so the staff can also determine whether you can go to them or to another office. • It helps if you can book your appointment at a time that’s most convenient for your kids. See as well if you can have the same dentist and hygienist for your visits.

8. Create A Visual Timeline • Let the children know what they can expect during the appointment. If possible, drop by the office to have a tour of the facility and get to know the dental team. • Then, give them a reward afterward. On the day of the appointment, a visual schedule can also help them stay relaxed. • You can cross out an activity once it’s done. Your children will love knowing what happens next.

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