Special Needs Dental Care Manassas, VA
If your child has special needs, you might be a bit worried about taking them to see the dentist. After all, dentists have you open your mouth, require you to sit still, and the dentist’s office has a lot of textures and sounds that are different. This can cause anxiety in special needs children and we understand.
Our dentists at Starlight Smiles Pediatric Dentistry know how to make special needs children feel good and comfortable whenever they walk into our office. We have experience in special needs children and below are a few things parents should know about what we recommend.
Keep Calm
A dentist’s office can be a nerve-wracking place for anyone, but it goes doubly so for children with special needs. One of the first things we do when your child comes in is, we try to keep them calm. Our dentists are specially trained to deal with special needs children, and we do our best to keep them relaxed.
They are already jumpy enough without us getting straight to business and demanding they open their mouths. Instead, we try to talk to your child. We want to get to know them and want them to get to know us.
We Explain Everything
Before we start pulling out tools and giving instructions, we sit the child in the chair and make sure they are comfortable. Then we show them the tools, turn them on, explain how they will feel, and tell them what we are doing. If they can understand how the tools work and get introduced to them, we find that they are less afraid.
We also listen to your child during the dental exam. If they want us to stop or are uncomfortable with how a tool feels in their mouths, we stop. Typically, we can use another tool or provide comfort while we keep working. Even if something has to be done and is uncomfortable, we still try to talk to your child and coax them through the process.
Personalization
We also know that every child is different, even if they have the same special needs. Our dentists have a close working relationship with you to make sure we create an environment that is perfect for your child. We will talk with you about your child, what they like and dislike, and how we can make coming to the dentist a fun and relaxing activity for them.
Some dental offices might see it as extra work, but we see it as necessary to make sure all our patients are happy. Our dentists are trained and able to handle any child with any special need, and we want to care for their teeth with the same level of care as all our other patients.
If your special needs child needs to come and visit our offices, please come by Starlight Smiles Pediatric Dentistry or call 571-833-0344. Our team will work with you to answer any questions or concerns you or your child might have. We will get to know both you and your child and create a custom dentistry plan that will work for everyone. |