The Importance of Oral Health in Children with Special Needs

If you are the parent or guardian of a child with additional needs, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’re sharing our advice for supporting your child so they can protect their teeth and avoid the need for complex or uncomfortable procedures.

Special needs children and oral care

Good oral care is essential for maintaining a good quality of life for children with complex and additional needs. Thankfully, support is available from a number of sources to help ensure children with special needs don’t miss out.

While many children will be able to learn to care for their own teeth, children with complex needs might struggle to find this level of independence. They might need a little extra support to help protect their teeth.

Supervised brushing will help to ensure the child is cleaning their teeth effectively every day. This is the first line of defence against oral health problems.

Arranging dental checkups

Children with complex needs might need a little longer at the dentist to get comfortable and to feel confident allowing the dentist to look inside their mouth. It’s a good idea to book a longer appointment spot to ensure you can get the care that you need. This will avoid the appointment having to be cut short before the examination can be completed.

Children with complex needs might not be able to confidently articulate when something is wrong with their teeth. For this reason, it’s essential that their dentist examines their teeth every 6 months to look for signs of problems.

Longer dental procedures

Children with complex needs are more likely to require dental treatments. They are more prone to dental decay, which could require treatments like fillings or root canal therapy. There is also an increased risk of overcrowding, which means that extractions could be necessary.

For longer dental procedures, your dentist will refer you to the hospital to have the treatment completed under general anaesthetic. This is the preferred approach for a number of reasons.

It’s safer and more comfortable for everyone involved, as longer treatments can be distressing for any patient. It’s also easier for the dentist to complete complex work on a patient that is relaxed through sedation.

This approach can also help to avoid the child developing a phobia of the dentist, as they won’t remember the procedure. This will ensure there are no issues in seeking treatment as the child gets older.

Childhood to adulthood

As your child gets older, we can arrange a dental care plan that is appropriate for their level of development. Some patients will be able to transition to taking care of their own teeth as they get older, but others may need lifelong support to help care for their teeth.

Through regular dental checkups, we can continue to monitor for signs of issues such as tooth decay, overcrowding or gum disease. Empowering patients to feel in control of their dental care and proud of their teeth is an excellent way to improve the quality of life for those with complex or additional needs.

If you are raising a child with special needs and you need a dentist that is able to support their development, get in touch with our team today.

We can arrange longer appointment times with specially trained staff to ensure that your child’s oral health is a priority. Book an appointment for a tour of our dental practice and meet-and-greet with our team.