Our children are our future. They see, hear, question, learn and explore their surroundings, growing into self-assured individuals ready to build a better world. For our children to grow and reach their full potential, it is important to keep them healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. Good oral care and hygiene is one such healthy practice that parents must impart to their children, to keep their smiles strong and bright and maintain their overall wellbeing.
As part of keeping your child’s teeth healthy, you must take them for regular dental checkups with the best pediatric dentist in Dubai. Now, this may be a bit of a challenge for parents as many young children find dental checkups a little scary. While most children may ease into a checkup routine after their first visit, children on the spectrum or those with special needs may take more time to ease into the process. This is why we recommend taking your little one who is on the spectrum to a pediatric dentist for autism in Dubai. Working with an expert who understands your children and their needs will keep the little ones comfortable during the check-up and put your mind at ease.
In this blog, we will learn more about how to prepare little ones with special needs or those on the spectrum for their regular dental checkups with our kid specialist in Dubai.
Understanding our young patient
At our pediatric dental clinic, we take time to understand our young patients before getting them on the chair for a checkup. Every child is different and will adjust differently to a dental appointment. As our dentist is trained in special needs pediatric dentistry, we have the experience and expertise to provide absolute care to all of our young patients.
Tending to children of determination or those on the spectrum comes with a lot of care and thought from both the parents and the specialist. As dental checkups are a very important part of oral care and overall health, it’s best to get your child used to it from the first year of their life. In case you have delayed the appointment searching for the best pediatric dentist for autism in the country, you have come to the right place.
ABA Therapy for pediatric dentistry
Children on the spectrum perceive their surroundings differently. They may often present problems with social communication and interaction and show restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests. These differences can make it challenging for them to interact with people and their surroundings. A knowledgeable and expert pediatric dentist can provide the best comfort to your child on the spectrum. It can also prove helpful in expanding their understanding of their body and keeping it healthy through good habits.
Our kids specialist, Dr. Yasmin applies ABA therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy) to help young patients with autism navigate their dental appointment. Using tools developed specifically for children on the spectrum, our pediatric dentist helps children and their parents to prepare for an upcoming dental appointment. This includes-
- Guidance for parents to prepare their children at home for an upcoming dental visit
- Teaching children about the importance of dental checkups and visiting their pediatric dentist
- Giving the young patient a tour of the pediatric dental clinic, introducing them to their friendly dentist, and letting them know what to expect during the checkup
These steps will help children be familiar with the idea of a checkup and allow them and their parents to feel comfortable and at ease at the clinic and during the dental appointment. If you are looking to visit our pediatric dental clinic in Dubai, here are a few things you can do to calm your child beforehand-
- Before arriving at the clinic with your child, call ahead to let us know. We will ensure that you are arriving at an appropriate time.
- Download and send us a filled medical questionnaire in advance. Click here for the questionnaire and further information.
- Sit with your child and watch videos of other kids or cartoon characters going to the dentist for a check-up
- Go through the Instagram account and show the happy videos of other young patients undergoing dental treatment. It is important to show them how their dentist looks like before the visit, also seeing the staff and the clinic’s decoration does help a lot create a sense of familiarity.
- You can also review the social story as many times as you like before the visit
- Remind your child why he/she needs to see the dentist and that you all are going to visit the clinic in a week and keep reminding your child every day.
- You are free to bring your little one’s favorite toy or cartoon on their iPad to keep them engaged while waiting in the clinic
- You can also consider bringing something they like or taking them somewhere they want to go as a reward for completing the visit successfully
- Lastly, keep your smile on and stay free of worries to give confidence to your child
Cherish their BIG smile
Working with Dr. Yasmin, our pediatric dentist for autism will surely help you and your child to keep their smile bright and healthy in the long run. As a specialist in special needs pediatric dentistry, Dr. Yasmin can help teach children with physical or behavioral challenges or disabilities the importance of good oral habits and help them navigate dental appointments without any drama, worries, or tears along with their parents. You can also talk to her about an individual prevention program that is specifically designed to address your child’s oral development. Reach out to our pediatric dental clinic in Dubai to book an appointment for your child today.