If you talk to a good number of parents, many will agree that getting their children to brush their teeth wasn't always an easy feat. However, for parents of autistic children, the tooth brushing fiasco can sometimes feel more like a battle than a chore.
There are some ways you can approach your child's dental care if they are autistic that may make things a bit easier on the both of you. Here are some tips you may want to follow to see better results with regards to their dental care.
Put together a picture board of the tooth brushing steps and write down the times when tooth brushing happens. This can also help your child feel as if they had time to prepare themselves for their tooth brushing session.
When it comes to getting your child to brush their teeth, give them options. Allow them to choose their toothbrush and toothpaste. Also, if your child does find a toothbrush they really like, you may want to go back to the store and buy them out of all those toothbrushes.
As you may well know, once a child with autism finds one thing that they like, it can be very hard to get them to switch to another in the future. You'll want the same brand, shape, bristle strength, and even color of toothbrushes. When it's time to replace their old one, there should be much less of an argument if you replace it with the exact same one.
When it's time for your child to brush their teeth, turn the lights down as low as you can have them while still allowing the both of you to see what's happening, don't have the faucet going too loud, and keep the area around the bathroom quiet.
See if you can get your child to try to brush their own teeth; give them plenty of time to touch and look at the toothbrush.
Start small by focusing on brushing as many teeth as they allow to be brushed that day. If you get to three teeth, try for four the next day. Eventually, you'll be able to get to all their teeth and with much less confrontation.
Have a clearly defined ending, so your child always knows just how long their teeth will be brushed for. For example, you can
sing the same song to them in a low voice. You can also count backward from 10 and let them know that when you get to "one" they are finished.
Dental visits can also be very hard on your child when they have autism. There are some things you can do to make things easier on them, as well as yourself and the dental staff.
Explain to the staff ahead of time what environment your child prefers, including things like low lighting, a lack of loud TVs, few people around, and so on. The staff can do their best to accommodate you. Try to get an appointment during the slowest part of the day so there are fewer stimuli and shorter wait times.
Allow your child to bring their weighted blanket, or another source of comfort they like to have, with them.
Make sure the dentist is advised ahead of time to turn the lighting down in the exam room as low as they can and to shut off any noisy equipment that doesn't need to be on. Also, they will need to account for extra time for them to explain to your child what is going to happen and to give your child some time to examine the instruments themselves. This can really help children with autism feel comfortable.
The dentist should announce each time they move to touch your child and let your child know what they will be doing. They should also do a countdown, so your child knows how long that part of the exam will last.
Remember, bribery tends to work well with children with autism, so don't forget to remind them throughout the visit that they will get to enjoy the special thing you offered them after they make it through the whole appointment. Always make sure you stick to your word and give them the item you promised them after you leave the dentist's office.
