In the Know for You to Know
Empowerment, Acceptance, Support
As parents we are always looking out for our children – empowering and supporting them to achieve their highest quality of life. All parents no matter what their child’s needs or how challenging the situations, we work to promote acceptance, inclusion, and celebrate their differences. This is especially true for parents who have been told their child (or children) has Autism or is on the Autism Spectrum.
Differences bring us Together
Each child responds in their own way to the myriad of experiences they encounter every day, whether at home or outside. The same is true for their oral hygiene routine. Compassion, understanding, and repetition is the solution to gently acclimating your child into their daily routine. For parents this requires a routine and patience.
Routine – Where do I start?
A calm place is a great way to start. Creating a picture guide book, social stories, or an activity schedule is quite helpful and goes a long way to establishing your routine.
Maybe you want to start with a picture guide book. You can begin by yourself or include your child while you coolly talk about brushing teeth, or you can sing some fun tooth brushing songs. Check out Pinterest, Spotify, or YouTube. The American Dental Association has a really amusing and low key series called Dudley goes to the Dentist, which is on YouTube.
If putting together an activity schedule is where you want to start, print out fun monthly calendar pages and include 2 boxes to check off for brushing and 1 box for flossing (recommended but totally your decision when to include) for each day of the month. Mouthhealthy.org (by the American Dental Association) has great activity sheets like the 2022 Brushing Calendar to help get you started. Go to MouthHealthy.org then click on the Resources button and Activity Sheets from the drop down menu.
Putting together stories first? You may want to start with why we have teeth. Then answer that teeth help us eat, talk and give us our smiles.
Sometimes it can take one sitting to complete or it can take several. What’s important is to keep going because when you’re done your creation is going to be AMAZING!
This is Stressful
Yes it is! Especially when your child has sensory issues to sounds, tastes, textures, flavors; or your child is anxious. Even when it is stressful the key is to have a positive attitude, make your child feel comfortable, regroup, and start again. Please don’t give up.
Practice makes Perfect
There are a lot of movements we make with our mouths when we brush, so it’s always good to practice.
It’s great to start with opening wide, and staying open wide. Maybe you make it a game and count to see how long you can both stay open wide.
Second, let’s count teeth. How many teeth are in there? Yes we need to count all the way to the back so be sure to (you guessed it) stay open wide.
Third, let’s brush. We put a dab of toothpaste on the brush, remember to open wide, and let’s brush those teeth slowly and gently. Maybe we can count teeth or sing a brushing song.
Fourth, time to spit out the toothpaste and rinse with water. Spitting not happening? No problem, drooling out the toothpaste in the sink (or washcloth) and wiping with a wet washcloth is a good alternative, or skip the drooling and use the soft wet washcloth.
Sometimes children need more assistance and more practice with brushing their teeth. If brushing is challenging it may be the sensation is uncomfortable. If that’s the case then try showing the brushing on your finger first, then on their finger, then on the back of their hand, then on their lips, then just inside their mouth or pick the 2 front teeth (top or bottom is their choice) and start with brushing those teeth.
Sometimes it’s needing an adaptive toothbrush or flosser. Alternatively it may be that you will need to brush their teeth and there are products that can help you out. There are companies who manufacture and sell specialized dental products to use at home.
Make Oral Health Care a Priority just like Medical Care
As parents you may be dealing with multiple pressing significant health issues for your child and you need to prioritize their (and your) needs. They may be taking medicines that are sugar flavored so that you can get them to take it. Going to bed with a bottle of a nutrition drink may be part of your nightly routine because your child needs to gain weight.
Please don’t let their oral health take a back seat. It can be as easy as wiping their mouths, tongue and cheeks with a wet washcloth while you are holding them. Or alternating their bottle with water so they don’t fall asleep with the sugary liquid on their teeth even though you’re still wiping their teeth with a washcloth. You can always slip in some water for them to drink during the day or begin by diluting their juice with 50% water, then 75% water, then 100% water.
Most Important
Lots of praise and smiles for them and you!
More tips? We have lots. We’re here just for kids!
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