Tag Archives: dental sedation

Pediatric Dentist

Autistic Daughter’s First Dental Visit

My daughter Ava, 4, is mildly autistic and has difficulty with new and different stimuli. Her first dental visit is coming up, and I thought bringing her favorite weighted “blankie” and her beloved stuffed panda might be a good idea. I’m just worried about keeping her calm throughout the procedure. I do have an odd question, though. She adores her twin sister Rachel and was asking if Rachel can come along and sit in the room while she gets her cleaning. The twins do everything together and have a very strong bond. I honestly feel it would really help her. Rachel is not on the spectrum as Ava is. She already had her cleaning last week (and did great!) but Ava had another appointment that day and couldn’t come in at the same time. Rachel has such a calming effect on Ava, so I thought it might be a good idea. I will sit in the room with them as well, instead of leaving the dentist with two four-year-old’s! Does this sound like something that might work? 

Many thanks, 
M.M.

Dear M.M.,

cheerful child in a dental chair

Twins are a special delight to be sure–congratulations! These are great questions; let’s see what we can do to ensure a wonderful first-time visit for your angel. There are a couple of things to consider: 

The First Pediatric Dental Visit is Meant to be Fun

Some pediatric dentists are fine with parents coming back with their children. Others, prefer to work with the child with just his or her assistant so they can build a rapport. In fact, some children are much better-behaved on their own than their parents might suspect. This is especially true if you as the parent have any deep-seated dental anxieties of your own. Though not intentional, these fears may inadvertently be transferred to your child; children are very intuitive.

That being said, this is a “first” visit, and that makes it a special type of fun. While yes, Ava is here to have her teeth cleaned and examined, she’s also here to get a first-time view of the dental office and we want that to be favorable. We all know first impressions count, and the goal is to have her leave the chair with a smile. If this includes you and her twin sister sitting in, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Just be sure to mention this to the hygienist before being called back to a chair, so she can prepare. Explaining your daughter’s special circumstances will help.

Following Visits May be Different

Once Ava has successfully completed her first visit, she will have hopefully formed a good opinion of the dental office and what it entails. If further visits are needed, such as for fillings if any decay is found, the assistant may ask you and Rachel to remain in the reception area.

You Know Your Autistic Child’s Tolerance Best

Autism and its effects can be a challenge for parents. In the practice, we often see patients on varying degrees of the spectrum, and what works for one may not work for another. Some may require prior medication, such as dental sedation. Some require shorter visits; some do fine without any of these. I’m glad you’ve had the foresight to suggest bringing her special blanket and stuffed toy. These things will certainly help. You know her best, and we don’t forget that. 

Twins Are Wonderful

All children are gifts, yet twins are another thing altogether! I can recall having 5-year-old twin girls in the operatory once, very similar to your situation: one in the chair, the other watching from the corner. These two had formed their own rudimentary language, and I’ll never forget listening to them talk to one another in their unique chatter! It was an amazing experience.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Pediatric Dentist

My Daughter’s Teeth Are Rotting

I have a five-year-old daughter who is extremely uncooperative at the dentist’s office. I have been through four pediatric dentists in our small city trying to find one who can get her to cooperate and it just hasn’t happened. She needs a lot of dental work and is having trouble eating. I’m worried. She has four teeth with decay right now and some of them have even lost tooth structure. What do I do?

Katie

Dear Katie,

Mom holding her two children

I can tell you love your daughter Katie very much and want to get her the best care possible. She is in a position now where you almost have a dental emergency on your hands. The first thing I would do is find a dentist who works with children and also offers dental sedation. It does not necessarily have to be a pediatric dentist. There are general dentists who are good with children. If she is uncooperative, this will at least allow her to get the work done she needs.

While these are baby teeth we are dealing with, they are still most important for her to keep for two reasons. One, so she can eat properly. Two, if any of them are molars, she will need to keep those in place until she is twelve years old. If the teeth cannot be saved, then make certain the dentist places space maintainers there to keep the space open. Otherwise, her other teeth will shift and it will lead to crowding.

One other thing, the only way to get that much decay at her age is for her to snack quite a bit during the day. You may have to show some tough love. Do not let her eat between meals. This includes having too much juice. Try to limit her to water until her teeth are under control.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Lafayette LA Dentist

Pediatric Dentist Strapped My Child Down

I am absolutely appalled. I took my daughter to the pediatric dentist for the first time. I got a little nervous when they didn’t let me back with her, but I didn’t want to make her worry so I pretended it was no big deal and she’d have a lot of fun. You can imagine how heartbroken I was when she told me that she got scared so they strapped her down. When they brought her out I could tell she’d been crying. I called, thinking I must have misunderstood her or she didn’t know how to explain what actually happened. They told me it’s standard procedure in dealing with an uncooperative child. Please tell me that’s not correct. She doesn’t ever want to go back.

Amy L.

Dear Amy,

Boy smiling and holding a toothbrush
Dental Care for Children Should be All Smiles

I’m heartbroken with you for the trauma your little girl experienced. I believe what you’re referring to is a papoose board. It wraps the child which essentially keeps them from moving during their appointment. It used to be a regular practice in many pediatric offices but has come under fire in recent years. Even the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has warned of its drawbacks and said parents have the right to terminate its use at any time.

While some children do better alone, many feel comforted knowing the mother is there to look out for them during their appointment. The goal of pediatric dental care is to give children a positive experience and get them excited about taking care of their teeth. I’d say your pediatric dentist totally failed at that.

Finding a Good Pediatric Dentist

You’ll obviously want to switch to a different practice. You can take your daughter to a pediatric specialist or a general dentist who enjoys treating children. One way to know how good a general dentist is with children is the age they’re willing to first see them. If they say around two years of age, you can feel pretty sure they’re comfortable with the wee set. If they say 8-10, then I’d look elsewhere.

Given your daughter’s experience, you’ll want a dentist who will let you go back with her. She’ll need to feel safe. You may also want to give her some nitrous oxide. It’s commonly called laughing gas and will help relax her. Wherever you end up, be sure to check their reviews ahead of time as well.

Please tell the new dentist what your daughter went through so they’ll be prepared to handle her understandable fear. We want to get her on the right track having positive experiences.

Most adults who end up with dental emergencies do so because they had a traumatic experience as a child and now avoid the dentist until their services become unavoidable.

For those patients, we recommend oral conscious sedation. It’s stronger than nitrous and will allow them to sleep through the appointment. That would be the last resort with a child, though. Let’s see if we can’t get her relaxed and happy without it.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.