In the Know for You to Know

Going to the Dentist is hard. For parents whose child has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) it is especially difficult.

What is important to know is that dental care and oral hygiene routines may go very slowly at first. Over time, and with compassion, patience and determination at home and in the pediatric dental office achieving positive results is possible and can bring invaluable rewards for your child and you.

ASD is complex and individual. There can also be associated medical issues that your family is dealing with and need to be taken into consideration.

Some children are distant and detached from people and their surroundings, and may or may not be verbal. Other children may have repetitive routines and behaviors, unpredictable body movements, or self-injurious behaviors. There are some children who have sensory, taste and/or texture sensitivities. Any of these behaviors can complicate dental care and establishing oral hygiene routines.

Today we’re breaking down the basics on challenges and strategies to help you help your child achieve successful dental care in the office.

Challenges And Strategies For Dental Care

Pediatric dental offices have all the bells and whistles for making going to the dentist fun. However they still have bright lights, loud noises and unfamiliar sights, smells and tastes.

Dental visits and procedures can be difficult for children with ASD who are sensitive to strong smells, tastes, and textures, or can not tolerate people or objects near their ears, face and mouth.

Strategies For Making Dental Visits Successful

• Call the office ahead of your visit to discuss your child’s medical history, needs and preferences. Ask if you can tour the office with your child before their appointment.
• While you’re on the phone or during the tour, ask if the office has or if you can bring noise-canceling headphones, a weighted blanket, or sunglasses, You can also ask if your child can listen to music or watch a movie. It’s okay to ask if it would be possible to turn off the fluorescent ceiling lights in the treatment room, and/or have limited talking during the dental procedure. If your child has self-soothing or a repetitive routine when they’re in a new environment remember to let the office know.
• Some children with ASD may benefit from a gradual introduction to each step over multiple successive visits, rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. You can also ask the office if they offer introduction or “desensitization” visits to help prepare for your child for their first visit, their cleaning appointment or their dental procedure.
• Tell your child ahead of time they are going to the dentist.
• Read a social story about going to the dentist or create a story board about going to the dentist.
• Read a book about going to the dentist. Some of our favorites are —Just Going To The Dentist by Mercer Mayer, The Berenstain Bears Visit The Dentist, Dentist Trip (Peppa Pig), Dora Goes To The Dentist.
• Role play a dentist visit at home – You can put on disposable gloves, let your child touch them when they’re on your hands so they get the feel of the gloves’ texture, and practice looking in their mouth and counting their teeth. You can also do this with their toys.
• Encourage your child and and do something fun as a reward for success at the end of the visit. (just not sweets or candy). This gives them positive reinforcement and associates the visit with something happy and something to look forward to.
• Always be positive when talking about the dentist and their upcoming appointments.

A Pediatric Dentist’s Experience Treating A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

As a pediatric dentist it is a pleasure and privilege to treat all children. The greatest compliment I can receive is when a parent entrusts me with the dental care and treatment for their child.

I would like to tell you about a patient of mine who has ASD. This child is amazing in the office now but our dental journey did not start out that way 4+ years ago. For this child’s parents it was agonizing, hair pulling, tearful, disappointing, painful and frustrating. What worked once didn’t always work twice. Each time we regrouped and eked forward. Today I’m happy to say that this child is incredible for their dental appointments, and I am so proud for this family.

What To Remember

Pack your patience. It may take a while to get to where you want to be. When you get there it will be so worth it!

Stay Tuned — We’re looking forward to seeing you next week when we discuss Challenges And Strategies For Your At Home Care.

Does your child have ASD? What are your dental visit challenges? What are your tips for dental visits? Tell us, We’d really like to know! Send us an email at kidstoothhotline@proton.me Like Us or Chat with us on Facebook at facebook.com/kidstoothhotline

More tips? We have lots. We’re here just for kids!

In the Know for You to Know

When it’s snuggle time with your child you expect your child’s breath to smell as sweet as they are. While children’s breath can be very sweet, there are times when your toddler to teen’s breath is plain stinky.

Bad breath (aka Halitosis) while not uncommon in children also does not necessarily mean your child is sick.

We’re breaking down the basics for you, so keep reading to find out about potential causes and solutions for bad breath in children.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Halitosis can be caused by several factors, such as —

Mouth Breathing

Everyone breathes through their mouths once in a while, especially when it’s cold and flu season. Even then you’ll notice that your mouth feels dry and chapped.

This is because breathing through the mouth, and especially for children who breathe through their mouths every night when they sleep do dry out their mouth. The drying effect is due to a decrease in saliva production. Less saliva means more dry mouth.

What else can cause mouth breathing? Something stuck in their nose, congestion from a sinus infection, seasonal allergies, or certain medicines like an asthma inhaler. When any of these issues show no signs of resolving anytime soon, it’s time to see your pediatrician.

Large Tonsils

Enlarged tonsils and adenoids can cause bad breath when they trap nasal secretions, food particles, and bacteria.

On the other hand, tonsillitis is an infection that makes the tonsils appear red and swollen. It occurs due to viruses or bacteria.

Dehydration and Dry Mouth

Drinking the right amount of water is important to keep your child’s body hydrated. Being well hydrated means that their salivary glands are producing the correct amount of saliva which in turn helps to cleanse their mouth and teeth, helping them to have fresh breath.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research states that saliva helps clean the mouth. When children don’t drink enough water, the amount of saliva in their mouth’s decreases. Less saliva leads a decrease the natural ability to clean their mouths. and an increase in the odor causing bacteria in their mouths.

Oral Hygiene

Poor oral hygiene can cause smelly breath even in children as young as toddlers. The most common places for food debris to hang out is in between teeth, on the gums, and also on the tongue.

Food debris is more than left over particles of food, it is also the mouth bacteria that attaches onto the food, and all of this together make up what we call dental plaque (or plaque for short).

Ever notice that white coating on your child’s tongue? That’s the plaque that attaches to the natural crevices on their tongue. You know that if the plaque is on the tongue, it’s for sure on the teeth and gums.

Cavities, Loose Fillings, Dental Infection

Did you know that bacteria causes cavities? Yes they do. The natural bacteria in the mouth latch onto the plaque. The longer plaque sits on teeth and in between the teeth, the more the tooth enamel is broken down, which is how cavities start and grow.

Cavities keep growing and the larger it gets the more likely it is to cause an infection. When the infection forms more types of bacteria come to the site and since these bacteria have their own smell the mouth gets even smellier.

Sometimes it could happen that your child has a loose cap or filling. If this occurs, food and bacteria can get trapped underneath, which can also cause bad breath.

Gum Disease

The same plaque that sits on the teeth, in between teeth and on the tongue also sits on the gums and causes their breath to smell like sulfur or rotten eggs. Also known as gingivitis, this causes the gums to become red, swollen and bleed during toothbrushing.

Eating Smelly Foods

Some of the foods we really like, are good for us, and are happy our children want to eat can cause smelly breath. The most talked about are onions and garlic.

So what to do? After enjoying your oniony-garlicky delights, have your child rinse their mouth with water, brush their teeth, or chew sugar-free gum to freshen up their breath. The sugar free gum helps to stimulate saliva production to naturally help cleanse their mouths.

Medical Conditions

Your child may have bad breath if they have certain medical conditions, such as tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, or other respiratory infections.

If your child has a serious medical condition such as uncontrolled diabetes, kidney disease, gastrointestinal issues, liver disease they may also experience chronic bad breath.

An Object In The Nose

Some children, especially toddlers like to put things into their nose, whether it’s a tiny toy, something they find or bits of food.

When something gets put into the nose, it causes an increase in nasal secretions like a runny nose, inflammation and a bad smell that can be mistaken for bad breath. This is the time to seek medical attention.

What Can I Do To Keep Bad Breath Away?

Children can have halitosis for several reasons, and the approach to treatment depends on the cause.

Sometimes it’s a trip to your pediatrician to make sure everything is okay; or sometimes it’s your pediatric dentist you contact.

Sometimes what you’re doing at home is the solution to taking care of your child’s bad breath —

1. Good daily oral hygiene – Toothbrushing twice a day in the morning before going to school and at night after flossing. Use a fluoride toothpaste to help reduce the risk of cavities and infection;
2. Change their toothbrush – Toothbrush bristles wear down with regular twice daily use and should be changed every 3-4 months to make sure your child’s teeth are properly cleaned so their breath can stay fresh;
3. Brush to their favorite tunes or use a 2 minute brushing timer;
4. Be rock stars of the toothbrushing world together by brushing together and establishing your daily routine.

What To Remember

Most children and teenagers have bad breath when they wake up. This usually goes away after they have something to eat and drink and brush their teeth.

Key ways to prevent bad breath for your child is to —

• maintain good oral hygiene including toothbrushing, flossing, tongue brushing,
• decreasing the habit of mouth breathing and learning how to breathe through their nose,
• staying well hydrated by drinking healthy amounts of water which also helps maintain adequate flow of saliva.

However, there are times when you’re concerned because your child’s bad breath isn’t going away no matter what you do, this is the time for you to talk with your pediatric dentist or pediatrician.

Have you noticed your child’s breath lately? Are you worried your child may have bad breath? Has your child had bad breath for a while?, What did you do? Tell us, We’d really like to know! Send us an email at kidstoothhotline@proton.me Like Us or Chat
with us at facebook.com/kidstoothhotline

More tips? We have lots. We’re here just for kids!