| Performing dental hygiene on some children with | | | | prelude to them using it on their teeth. |
| Autism is not an easy task, however, it is a necessary | | | | Children's toothpaste comes in many different flavours |
| one. | | | | and it should be possible to come up with one that |
| If you want to prevent any problems later on, | | | | your child likes. |
| prevention is certainly better than a cure. | | | | Always use just a wee bit of toothpaste as initially it is |
| It is presumed that children with Autism have a high | | | | going to be next to impossible to get the Autistic child |
| threshold for pain, and what pain is much worse than a | | | | to rinse and spit, but that should be a goal to work |
| toothache. | | | | towards. |
| It is not an area that is easy to inspect and if the | | | | Sometimes, after brushing, putting a dash of mouth |
| Autistic child has no speech as 50% of them do, then | | | | rinse on a wipe and getting the child to wipe his mouth |
| they may not have a way to tell you and may be in | | | | and front of his teeth can have the dual benefits of |
| some considerable amount of pain for some time | | | | keeping their breath fresh and wiping off the excess |
| before you suspect anything is wrong. | | | | toothpaste so that it doesn't get swallowed. |
| It is best that dental care is started as early as | | | | There are dentists who specialize in dealing with |
| possible so that they can get accustomed to it. | | | | children with disabilities and it may be an idea to use |
| Start simple by sweeping around the teeth with a | | | | one of those for your Autistic child. |
| flannel or a fingerstall type toothbrush. | | | | They will have experience in dealing with many types |
| It is much better to break the task down into many | | | | of disabilities and have plans in place for treating the |
| simple steps and keep to the same routine. This will | | | | Autistic child. |
| help the Autistic child feel more comfortable with doing | | | | Sometimes a visit before treatment is initiated is helpful |
| it. | | | | for the child with Autism to get them used to the |
| For those whose child with Autism has a tendency to | | | | setting. Make sure that you are not stressed before or |
| chomp down on fingers that are placed in their mouth, I | | | | during the visit as the Autistic child seems to pick this |
| would suggest holding the child's hand and using their | | | | up from you and will react accordingly. |
| finger to perform the task. | | | | If you remain calm and positive throughout the visit, |
| If they do chomp down, they will soon realize their | | | | they are also likely to be more manageable. |
| error and your fingers will be out of harm's way. | | | | An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and |
| Also handing them a toothpaste with a bit of water on | | | | a smidgen of toothpaste and a toothbrush is definitely |
| it while you are brushing their teeth will give them an | | | | more preferable to a visit to the dentist with an Autistic |
| idea of how it is meant to be used and can act as a | | | | child. |