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 It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

Braces as an adult? No way. At least, that was what I thought when my dentist told me that I was going to have to see an orthodontist about my crooked teeth. But my teeth were so misaligned that they were causing me pain when I chewed, so I decided to at least look into it. Turns out braces today are nothing like the ones my friends had when I was a kid. Mine were practically invisible, and I didn't need to wear them that long. I started this blog to encourage other people like me who are nervous about the prospect of wearing braces as an adult. My straight smile is so worth the trips to the orthodontist, and wearing braces was nowhere near as bad as I thought. Read on to find out more about how you can straighten your smile.

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It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

Setting Up Dental Appointing For A Child With Special Needs

by Jacqueline Byrd

Children sometimes fear a visit to the dentist. Such fear could make it difficult for adults to make sure young ones go on that all-important yearly trip for a dental cleaning. Parents and guardians of young ones with special needs might discover bringing a child to an annual checkup is even more difficult. Thankfully, new innovations in approaches to dental care are making checkup visits better accessible to children with special needs. Through making a proper inquiry when setting up an appointment, it becomes much easier to match the special needs child with the right pediatric dentist.

Discoveries in Treating Children with Autism

A recent study was performed on children with autism spectrum disorder. Due to the nature of the condition, a dentist's chair can cause outright sensory overload to the young person, evoking a terrible feeling of fear. For years, the dental community was perplexed at how to treat these children. The study has now revealed that, through simply making minor changes to "soften" the dental environment, children with autism won't react negatively or suffer trauma during the visit.

As long as the dentist knows the basics of how to tailor a session for a child with special needs, then a proper session can be devised with little trouble. Of course, the responsibility falls on the parent or adult guardian to ensure the right pediatric dentist is being selected for the checkup and any subsequent work.

Contacting the Dentist

Upon contacting the dentist's office, let the receptionist know about the specific needs and disabilities of the child. Clearly and definitively ask if the dentist is able to take the appropriate care of your child based on his/her needs. Do not just accept a "yes" response and be done with it. You must take extra steps to be 100% sure the dentist is properly suited to care for your young one.

Upon informing the receptionist of the condition, find out:

  • Whether or not the pediatric dentist has treated other children with the same or similar condition.
  • What special approach the dentist provides to care for the child.
  • If the dentist needs anything from you to make the session go smoother.

Taking such additional steps not only ensures the session occurs without any problem. Doing so helps make the young one feel relaxed and comfortable about seeing the dentist. Since the youngster won't be unnerved about going on future visits, then he/she is going to experience much better dental health.

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