special needs dentist - and dental BRACE !

[Blue-Kat]

has anyone experience of children's special needs dentist and ASD kids needing orthodontic treatment?

 

I took my 9.5 yr old son, Logan, to the dentist today, he had a little filling and saw the oral educator.

I told the dentist that L has an ASD today.

L fidgets with everything etc etc... but thankfully they have always been really good and gentle with him.

 

He's got overcrowding of the teeth, and dentist says there's no way it will resolve without a brace. He's referred L to children's special needs dentist, which sounds appropiate. But OMG how on earth are we going to cajole L into accepting a brace ?

 

regards

-

Katya

[jomica]

Hi Katya

 

Not specifically orthodontics, but my son goes to a special needs dentist for all of his general dental appointments. So far he's had a crown, two fillings and all of his teeth coated to stop them decaying further (he has no enamel - apparently a common problem for lots of children with special needs of all kinds).

 

She is SO good with him. Before he had any treatment done he'd visited the surgery four or five times, meeting different people, looking at the dentist's tools, demonstrating how he brushed his teeth, etc. Only then did she consider sitting him in the chair to look at his mouth.

 

The next couple of appointments she just looked in his mouth, showed him how the tools felt firstly on the back of his hand and then in his mouth.

 

Eventually she had him in for a "proper" appointment. She gave him something called "relative analgesia" - a combination of gas, air and hypnotic suggestion, which made his relaxed and responsive to her instructions. She then gave him a painkilling injection and got on with the work very successfully.

 

This happened again at a subsequent appointment a month later, and he was still confident and happy about her treating him. In fact, the dentist is no longer a worry to him at all - he seems to trust her completely.

 

However, that doesn't get over the idea of having a brace in your son's mouth all the time and, unfortunately, I can't give you any advice about that. My older son (NT) is having one in the next few months and I think he'll find it difficult enough to deal with at first, and he doesn't have any sensory issues.

 

I can't praise the SN dentist highly enough. She is great and responds very well to my son's needs. She is calm, explains things so he can understand and seems to sense when enough is enough.

 

I can only hope that your dentist is similar!

[Canopus]

Err. Are these the mercury amalgam fillings? The shiny black ones.

[jomica]

No, don't think so - we had white ones?

 

Do say more .............

 

Thanks

[Blue-Kat]

hi Jomica

really good to hear of your son's very positive experience with the SN denists !

hope your other son gets on Ok with his brace.

 

It's been obvious since L was small that he'd need a brace. he terrible overcrowing around the canine, he's got 3 tiers of teeth like a shark

 

I presume this puts pressure in the jaw etc., so it's not merely cosmetic issue ?

 

intersting about various SN needs not having enought enamel.

-

Katya

[Blue-Kat]

Hi Canopus

the dentist used a white putty-like filling that he inserted with a sort of syringe. he squirted a tiny bit on my son's hand so he could see and feel it.

-

Katya

[jomica]

Hi again Katya

 

The enamel thing might make a good poll, to see how many people it has affected?

 

I hope all goes well with your son's appointment.

 

Best wishes,

[Zemanski]

no problems with enamel and Com's teeth are a bit crowded but the dentist said it's only cosmetic and can be done later if he is bothered by his teeth (which I really don't think he will be). Com hasn't had a filling yet but he has had his teeth scraped to remove algae

 

yes, it does say algae

 

Com was referred to the SEN dentist because after the third time of telling the dentist that he didn't drink blackcurrant so it couldn't be staining (?) I told my dentist (rather than his) and we were at the community dentist in 2 weeks!

 

she is fantastic too - took three sessions to do the scrape, provides him with hip sunglasses, talks to him using all the technical terms which he really likes, and explains everything in absolutely minute detail.

 

we're actually on the 3rd SEN dentist now (in only 3 years) which is a pain but they have all been equally good.

 

Zemanski

[bid]

I'm sure other people have had better experiences, but Auriel was fitted with braces on both his upper teeth and lower teeth to correct an overbite.

 

It was absoltuely horrendous for him, and he was so brave. Luckily they were only the removable ones prior to the fixed ones.

 

He took them out soon after he got home, and I told him to forget about them...it was just awful because the lower brace pulled his jaw forward so his face was different and he dribbled

 

If I had been told it was going to be two braces I would never have allowed it, but I thought it was just going to be one on his upper teeth...so make sure you are clear about what exactly they intend to do.

 

The overbite thing was purely cosmetic, and I do feel it was unnecessary, and I really regret putting him through the whole horrible experience

 

Bid

[nellie]

My eldest son, 27, had two back teeth removed and a brace fitting to his upper teeth at age 13 because of overcrowding.

 

He was very brave about the whole thing. He did have a problem with the brace though. A couple of times the wire had come loose from the anchor point and cut his cheek quite badly. He didn't tell anyone he was in pain, possible because of a high pain threshold, the inability to relate the problem to someone or simply didn't want that level of interaction. He now has scarring inside his mouth in a number of places.

 

The teeth jumped back to their original position shortly after the brace came off. It was a complete waste of time and I regret putting him through it.

 

I have to say, this was 14 years ago.... hopefully they use better glue now!

 

Nellie xx

[asereht]

Sorry bad experience here too . My son had the removable brace for 18 months and then had 4 teeth removed because of overcrowding.

 

He now has fixed braces since last june but has trouble following the VERY STRICT brushing routine needed when fixed braces are applied ( brushing at least 4 times a day in a certain way with two different brushes) .

 

No hard food raw carrots,crusts apples, popcorn. His diet is already quite particular.

 

The last time he went back to the orthodontist she told him off and said he is just not doing what he is told and if he doesn't stick to the routine there coming off.He really does try his best but is dyspraxic and finds it hard to do it right.

 

Also he gets them tightened and finds them quite uncomfortable for days then and she cannot get it into her head that he has sensory issues and thinks he is just making a big deal out of nothing.

 

 

I am sorry I ever let him get them and hope she does take them off before I tell her to. He gets so upset when he gets them tightened that he will not even eat and is is bad form for days. He just can't handle it.

 

Sorry if I've put you off this is just our experience.

 

T

[Blue-Kat]

Hi Nellie and asereht

really sorry to hear of your respective sons awful experiences with braces

 

I definately checking that treatment is medically necessary, don't belive in torture purely for cosmetic effect L doesn't need american-style teeth

-

Katya

[Zemanski]

I would ask to discuss your concerns in much more detail; ask about alternative types of braces, which are most effective, which cause least discomfort, how long he would have to wear them, whether you can just do what is medically necessary and forget the cosmetic aspects to reduce the time it takes, whether it can be done in stages, whether there is any preparation that you could do to help reduce his sensitivity to them, is there any way they could be avoided altogether (a friend was given the option of surgery for her lad but I think that was a jaw problem rather than overcrowding), etc.

 

if you have good information it is easier to make a good decision

 

good luck

 

Zemanski

[stressed out mum]

Hi Katya

 

If the treatment is nesessary I would definately opt for a retainer for the whole of the treatment so that Logan can decide whether to wear it that day or not, treatment will just take a little longer. This work okay for me, don't know why they have to glue them in now.

 

My son started his treatment with a retainer and although it was sore at times and he needed paracetamol at bedtime but things were fine.

 

After a few weeks he had a fitted brace and this is when the problems began.

 

When the teeth move the wires pass through the brace and need somewhere to go so if they are not cut regularly (we could only get six weekly gaps in appointments) they stick in the cheeks and gums.

Eventually his father cut it with wire cutters.

 

Yesterday my son visited the Orthadontist and he said that it could be taken off as the teeth had moved enough. This is also painful.

 

Unfortunately our Orthadontist has no 'bedside manner' and can be quite rough.

 

The glue has to be taken off with a whizzy thing and because the Orthadontist was rushing he slipped and sliced the skin off my son's lip and just below there. Instead of appologising he said 'DON'T PANIC' Can you believe that?

 

Today my son has to go to have his retainers fitted but will see a nurse instead. Can't let that man near him again.

 

Although my son now has a beautiful smile I would not have knowingly put him through that for anything

 

Sorry to bring bad news

[Deblegs]

I am in the middle of having Brace Therapy treatment.

 

My problems started with a wisdon tooth that was heavily impacted and as it errupted, it dislocated my jaw and it moved my teeth out of position. I had to have it out.

 

I also waa grinding my teeth away and the dentsit said that if I didn't have anything done I would lose all my teeth.

 

I then had to have 6 teeth crowned. I was then advised to have fixed brace therapy as it would result in me not grinding my teeth as much.

 

My Brace therapy is going well.

 

At first it took a lot of getting ussed to and I had some mouth alcers but it hardly bothers me now.

 

My Dentist is really good with me. When my Mum was alive she told him about my Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

 

I read somewhere that people with Autism/Asperger Syndrome have a tendancy to grind their teeth.

 

From Debbie

[nellie]

Hi Debbie,

 

It's great to hear that your treatment is going well, credit to you for handling it so well, your mum would have been proud.

 

My husband grinds his teeth, especially in his sleep. Luckily he has strong teeth.

 

It's lovely to hear from you again, I hope all is well with you.

 

Love

 

Nellie xx

[nikrix]

Hi

 

My daughter has the same problem as your son, to many teeth and will need a brace.

 

This is going to by a nightmare, Even when she had a xray at the dentist we had a major episode.The denist told at this time that she would have to have a brace when she is a bit older. she has not stopped asking me questions about it and is really worried.

 

let me know how you get on, as it would be a great help for me and my daughter.

 

Good luck

Nikrix X