Dental Care for Children with Autism: Strategies for Success in the Dentist’s Chair

Children with autism are more likely to suffer from oral health issues such as tooth decay, gum disease, and dental damage than children without autism.

I asked our family dentist why this is the case, and he explained it’s because many autistic children have sensory sensitivities that make it difficult to follow a good oral hygiene program.

These difficulties also make going to the dentist difficult. Thankfully, parents and caregivers can do numerous things to make oral hygiene and dental appointments simpler for their autistic child. These things include:

Explain to them what will happen in advance

Children with autism perform better in unexpected situations when they understand what to expect. Sit your youngster down and describe what happens at the dentist. Use drawings or objects to communicate upcoming events for those with weak verbal skills.

When explaining, use simple wording. If possible, practice the dental procedures before visiting a dentist.

If you are unsure whether you have effectively covered all areas of the procedure, consult your dentist.

Desensitize the child

Dentist clinics are full of unfamiliar sights, noises, and smells that children with autism may find overwhelming at first.

This might lead to uncooperative conduct and trouble completing dental operations. You don’t want this.

Desensitization techniques and a progressive approach may be necessary to help your child accept dental operations.

This will require several short trips to the dentist. Each visit should focus on a specific habit and end on a positive note.

A first visit to a dental practitioner may be as simple as strolling into their office.

When you are in the dentist’s office, allow your youngster to practice sitting quietly in the dentist’s chair for a few minutes before their visit begins. Then, let them sit with their mouth open for a bit. Gradually progress to having the dentist work inside their mouth.

Some dentists provide special desensitization appointments to make the process easier for parents. If yours does, take advantage of it.

Use a calming voice when talking to your child.

As is true for most people, speaking in a calm, soothing tone is always beneficial. To refocus a child’s attention, use voice control techniques such as increasing loudness and changing tone. You should maintain a calm demeanor and end any visits with your child on a positive note, even if they grow unhappy.

Visit the same dentist.

Going to the same dentist for each dental visit allows your child to become familiar with the office environment and the personnel. This way, they will most likely become more at ease in that environment with time, and visits will no longer be as difficult as they once were.

Distract your child

Children with autism frequently respond positively to being diverted, so you should take advantage of it.

Distracting activities may include watching a favorite DVD, listening to music, or holding treasured objects. Holding a manipulable object can often be useful. Examples of fidget toys include flour-filled balloons, accordion tubes that may be opened and closed, and others.

All you need to do is to bring the things that they like playing with to the dental office.

Bring comfort objects to the dental office.

Comfort objects, such as a favorite stuffed toy, a weighted blanket, or a piece of moldable putty, can often calm children with autism.

Bring one of your child’s favorite items to the dentist and give it to them while they are sitting in the chair. For safety reasons, remind the child to keep the item on their lap and away from their faces while the dentist is working.

Reward the child

After a good trip to the dentist, consider giving your child a sticker, pencil, craft item, special meal, or any other modest incentive. If your youngster is extremely resistant to dental visits, divide the visit into steps with a separate reward for each.

This way, they will always have a reward to look forward to.