Dental Hygiene

SusanG

7 March 2013 19:55

My autistic boy is 17. He has always been very defiant/phobic about brushing his teeth. I took him to the dentist until he was 15 but he had a course of several treatments then and has refused to go back since. He rarely brushes his teeth or uses mouthwash. He now has a chipped front tooth and truly horrendous bad breath but still refuses to visit a dentist. I really worry about the trouble this is going to cause him and have tried to explain, coax and cajole him to look after his teeth but have been met with total refusal to listen or co-operate - any tips/suggestsion VERY welcome.

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Snowdrop 7 March 2013 21:17	Hi Have you approached a Special Needs Dentist regarding these issues, I imagine they are very common and they may be really helpful, I think you can get a referral from your own Dentist to a special needs one. Tracy - Community Champion
SusanG 7 March 2013 22:19	Hi Snowdrop - didnt know there was such a thing as SN dentist - will investigate. Thanks.
LilR 7 March 2013 22:33	Hi Susan I used to be a dental nurse and what you need to do as Snowdrop said, go to your registered dentist and ask for a referral, they should have no prob doing this. You can also get toothbrushes that are like a C shape and it covres the 3 tooth surfaces which can make it a bit better and quicker.x
Snowdrop 7 March 2013 23:02	Hi ya Where do you get the C shape toothbrushes from? Tracy - Community Champion
Mike Stuart 8 March 2013 16:00	Hi Susan, Here are some resources you might find useful: Visiting the dentist and oral health on Ambitious about Autism Dentist: preparing for a visit on National Autistic Society Visiting The Dentist on Scottish Autism - Mike, Community Manager (mike@talkaboutautism.org.uk)
SusanG 8 March 2013 17:45	thanks for all the helpful tips - will let you know if I make progress
michaelz 11 March 2013 09:59	other suggestions - contact a professor of dentistry/oral surgery or similar at your local teaching hospital who may be able to advise. alternatively contact one of the following who may be able to point you (or more pertinently, your son) in the right direction. http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/dental.htm http://www.bda.org/contact-us.aspx http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Dental_Officer_(England) http://www.talkaboutautism.org.uk/page/forums/medicalandhealth/index.cfm?mode=completethread&forumid=925&threadId=7947