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  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Help Us Grow
  • Paid Link Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Know Autism, Know Your Child
  • New Information
  • Previous BLOGs Good Ideas
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #1 HOW WILL I KNOW? Red Flags & Checklist
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #2 WHY IS IT AUTISM? Diagnosis & DSM-5
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #3 PRIORITIZE CONCERNS 2023 Eating & Toileting
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #3 PRIORITIZE CONCERNS 2023
  • #3 Social & Daily Living Skills
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #4 When is it Sensory?
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #4 SENSORY, Cont.
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #4 SENSORY, Chapter 3
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #5, Ch. 1 & 2, What To Do While You Wait?
  • FREE BOOK UNIT #5, Ch. 3 & 4, What To Do While You Wait? Cont.
  • FREE BOOK UNIT 6 CH 1 – Where to Look for Resources?age
  • #4A Behavior & Communication Programs ABA,DIR, OT, PECS
  • #4B1 Programs/Intervention/Therapies (5-8): RDI, SPD, ST, TEAACH, & CBT
  • #4B2 More Programs/Therapies/Approaches; Meds, Diet, Bio Therapy
  • #4C CAMs Complementary & Alternative Medicine
  • #4C1 CAMs Cont. Animal Assisted Therapy
  • #4C2 CAMs Creative & Adventure Therapy
  • #4C3 Last of CAMs Cont. 6. - 12.
  • #5 Know Your Child: INTRODUCTION
  • #5A Know Your Child: GETTING STARTED
  • #5B Know Your Child: TEMPERAMENT
  • #5C Know Your Child KNOW AUTISM
  • #5D Know Your Child: RESOURCES & INSURANCE
  • #5E Know Your Child: LAW & AUTISM
  • GALLERY SLIDESHOW
  • *PREVIEW Books in Gallery
    • AMAZING ADVENTURES Extended Book Reviews
    • DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, & DENIAL Extended Book Reviews
    • SAVVY SOLUTIONS Extended Book Reviews
    • SCHOOL ON THE SHORT BUS Extended Book Reviews
  • *WHAT TO DO while you wait. 1-5
    • #1 What to do While You Wait, Checklists & Red Flags
    • #2 What to do While You Wait: Diagnosis, Denial & Doctors
    • #3 What to do While You Wait: Try New Things
    • #4 What to do While You Wait: Programs, Therapies, & Interventions
    • #5 What to do While You Wait: Know Your Child
  • ExtendedBookReviews~
  • Rules for David
  • A Friend Like Henry & All Because of Henry
  • No You Don't
  • Twirling Naked
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  • Paula's Journal
  • How Can I Talk
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  • Hello, My Name is Max
  • What Color is Monday?
  • Spinning in Circles
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  • I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames:
  • 3500: An Autistic Boy's
  • Ido in Autismland
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  • All I Can Handle
  • He's Not Autistic, But...
  • The Horse Boy
  • Building in Circles
  • Autism Goes to School
  • I Am In Here
  • The Aspie Parent
  • Seeing Ezra: A Mother's Story
  • Autism: Turning on the Light
  • Autism: Why I Love Kids
  • Autism: Triplet Twist
  • Someone I'm With Has Autism
  • Making Peace with Autism
  • The ABC's of Autism Acceptance
  • The Long Ride Home
  • Autism by Hand
  • Knowing Autism
  • Autism Belongs
  • A Real Boy
  • A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night
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LATEST BLOG POSTING...

BLOG ~ Dental Care for those with Autism

9/25/2022

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Picture


Thank you to a concerned person from the ‘Dental Care’ community for this BLOG suggestion.
 
Dental Care ~

< My Thoughts >     “All this just to clean his teeth.”
 
If something is in Sonny’s mouth it must be to bite on or chew. Right? Of course this includes anyone’s hands or fingers. So, it stands to reason we would never ask a dentist or dental technician to stick their fingers into his mouth. It’s difficult enough to brush his teeth on a daily basis.
 
Unfamiliar with autism, a very gentle and caring dentist tried for several times to get Sonny to open his mouth while sitting between us in the waiting room. “Hah! We told you so!” I wanted to shout. Finally, she gave up. “Okay, he’ll need anesthesia just to examine him,” she agreed.
 
The dentist said she’d submit the paperwork to the insurance company. But wait! We didn’t have any dental insurance. Sonny needed to be anesthetized for a simple cleaning in a surgery room setting. Then requiring an extensive and expensive dental procedure, under anesthetic for anything else they may find. And, for that you need insurance or ca$h. They want to know that everyone will be paid. Panic set in!
 
Fortunately, our town was large enough to have a dental college where students learn their craft under the supervision of professionals, in an outpatient surgery center. We started making contacts and finally began the paperwork process to have Sonny admitted pro bono.
 
Months later, finally ‘covered’ at the college outpatient surgery certer, we turned our son over to the men and women garbed in green for a series of ‘dental procedures’. But, the first time he had a grand mal seizure, due to missing his morning meds. Now we know that he has to have meds on schedule, before surgery; just to be safe.

Children with Autism Face Increased Oral Health Risks by J. Khorsandi ~Children with autism can face a handful of issues related to their oral health. Among them:
​
  • They may have difficulty tolerating the sensory inputs involved in brushing and flossing, leading them to skip these necessary tasks.
  • They may engage in behaviors that endanger the teeth and gums, such as head banging and gum picking.  
  • There is some evidence that children with autism also prefer to eat soft, sweet foods. These types of foods often promote tooth decay. Parents may also give children with autism candies and other sweet foods as rewards for good behavior.

Because of these challenges, these kids are at greater risk of developing many different oral health conditions, including:
  • Tooth decay
  • Gum disease
  • Teeth grinding, especially at night (known as bruxism)
  • Traumatic dental injuries
  • Orthodontic problems
 
The combination of negative dental habits, with the increased likelihood of gum & teeth issues; make bi-annual trips to the dentist a priority for children with autism.
 
< My Thoughts >     “Just so you know…”
 
Adults with autism may also have many of these issues. Added to that, having poor chewing or eating habits can lead to digestive and/or gastrointestinal problems. Unnoticed decay can eventually mean major tooth extractions. Any kind of partial plates or appliances make life difficult for everyone involved.

​Sonny loves to ‘bite’ whatever is handy. His biting can be a result of happy excitement, frustration, or an ‘outburst of anger’. All our furniture has different degrees of ‘bite marks’. Yes, as you can imagine, he did finally break a front tooth biting on a table leg.

 
Reference:
 
Khorsandi, J. (May 2022). Children with Autism Face Increased Oral Health Risks; Retrieved online from: https://www.byte.com/community/resources/article/dental-care-children-with-autism-guide/
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    Author

         Just to let you know that I, Sara Luker, have put forth my best efforts in presenting what I have learned over my 30 years with autism, Sharing Extended Book Reviews of  stories about those who have gone before us.      
         Understand that all health matters ALWAYS require medical decisions/diagnosis/treatment by highly qualified and licensed individuals. See website DISCLAIMER.

         Here you will find excerpts containing a combination of selections, synopses, general information prose, quotes and references to peer-reviewed articles.

         Plus < My Thoughts >, which are my responses to the material; as a state certified educator with a 2013 Master’s Degree in Special Education, and over 30 years as Sonny’s mom.

         The BLOGs on this site are meant to be insightful and timely. Comments and Responses are welcomed.

         The offered DOWNLOAD material is organized in UNITs and Chapters. The autism information comes from –

    *Peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, informational     and educational-writer articles.

    *Prose, which explains the currently circulating general public knowledge.

    *Personal, < My Thoughts > which are ‘educated   guesses’ about what it all means.

    *Poignant synopses of published parent stories.

    *Pages filled with decisions, denial, cited references, definitions, appendices, and more.

     Hearing the words “this child has autism,” parents are often shell-shocked.

         Then, in the face of so many more questions racing through their minds, the doctor says, “Just go online and read everything you can about autism.”

         
    Yes, disturbingly this kind of professional advice is given to many of our families.

    ​  If you are one of those families, or clinicians, I hope this material will give you a good start.
     


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