Willow Dental Care Network

Home of Family Sedation Dentistry

Dental Health Options for a Child with Autism

Caring for the dental health of any child can be quite the challenge.  When you add in the specific parameters of a child with Autism, a parent can be at a loss for what to do. Often dentists will suggest general anesthesia, which can be hard on the child and the recovery time can be filled with nausea and severe grogginess.  On top of that, getting dental work done with General Anesthesia  at a hospital used to be readily available, today the wait to just be interviewed to see if the child qualifies can take several months.  Then the child is in a wait list for several more months for available time.

There is another option. Just like a child with dental fear, a child experiencing life within the Autism Spectrum is often a perfect candidate for  Sedation.  There is sedation protocol for an autism patient, so parents will want to make certain their dentist is both DOCS Certified (see Afraid of the Dentist? Keep Calm and Get Educated for an explanation of DOCS) and is up to date with the specific requirements of an autism patient and their medical background.

The first appointment will be considered the Introduction Appointment where the dentist and staff will establish a relationship with the child and monitor the behaviour.  Once a relationship has been established, if appropriate, a visual exam will be performed and the child’s teeth will be polished and x-rays taken.

Based on the medical background and the child’s responsive behaviour, an appointment can be made for all the dental work.  The kind of sedation is determined by the dentist.  In our offices we have treated autistic children with Conscious Sedation very successfully.  However there are several cases when the medical conditions and behavior was too complex and we treated the child through General Anesthesia.  Our dentists performed the work in a private office working with an anesthesiologist.

To discuss the needs of your child please contact us. If you have a child experiencing autism please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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