Unique Needs–5 Helpful Tips
Happy “Tooth-Day”!
Farah Flossit here, wishing you well today & always:)
Not all children have the same needs, challenges, or rate of development. Today’s report is to encourage & motivate parents of children with unique needs to use some tips provided below to help with getting your kids with brushing their teeth. It is not lost on me that it’s an uphill battle getting any kid to brush their teeth, but encouraging children who have special needs can pose additional challenges. It will just require parents to get extra creative. It is very easy to by-pass putting the pressure on, but being persistent may surprise you. Many children with special needs are faced with discomforts that most can’t understand or comprehend. They may have oral sensitivity, which can make brushing unpleasant. Other skills such as spitting can also be challenging. As parents we want to be sensitive to these challenges, but oral health is very important to overall health, so we need to try different tactics in order to try to achieve these goals. It may take a little longer than most, but who’s keeping track? What matters is that you are giving it your best shot!
John Hendry, DDS, a dentist in private practice in Lafayette, Louisiana, who has served as president of the American Academy of Persons with Disabilities: “Often parents are so overwhelmed with all the other simple duties of caring for a special needs child that they don’t put a priority on oral health & hygiene.” The goal for children is to brush 2 minutes for 2x a day. Dr. Hendry is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). The tips that will be provided today are brought to you from the Monster-Free Mouth Movement (AAPD) & Dr. Hendry, a founding board member & chairman of the Federation of Special Care Organization in Dentistry who has been honored for his commitment to kids with special needs. Hopefully this tips will help make toothbrushing easier for kids with disabilities & their parents.
Role Play
Take a tip from pediatric dentists & try the “Tell-Show-Do” method of behavior modification. “We show children-often on a stuffed animal-what we hope to accomplish & allow the child to practice on the stuffed critter to make it a fun experience. They get to be the dentist/hygentist.”
Tag Team
Ideally, you & your husband/co-parent can both pitch in with toothbrushing, especially early on in the process of introducing the habit to a child. “one person can hold & comfort,” explains Dr. Hendry & the other can actually accomplish the brushing & fluoride application.” Note from me: If you happen to have a 3rd adult handy, he or she can pour you a glass of wine afterward! lol
Make the Brush Comfortable to Hold
For a child with fine-motor-skill issues, notes Dr. Hendry, “toothbrushes can be adapted with a Play-Doh grip, a bicycle grip or even a tennis ball.”
Play a Game
Dr. Hendry is fond of the “smile contest”–as in, “Let’s see who has the biggest smile!” That way a child exposes his teeth for brushing. “The patient always wins!” says Dr. Henry. You can also entice kids with prizes or stickers, he continues: “Make it a game, but always reinforce with praise.”
Put On Some Tunes
“We have been very successful with getting kids to brush their teeth to their favorite music,” says Dr. Hendry. “One special needs class brushed to Michael Jackson upon arrival to class, & every afternoon before leaving to a softer, country song. Occasionally on Mondays I felt they had not brushed since Friday’s departure, but I was comfortable they were brushing at least 10 times a week! The hidden benefit is that most songs last at least 2 minutes, so we got them to brush for a significant amount of time without getting bored.”
Here at Casa Smiles, we believe ALL children can benefit from these tips. We would just like to highlight that we think of children with different needs equally. We love putting big smiles on all children!
Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!
I look forward to chatting with you all next week!
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Your Friend,
Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)
