Choosing a Pediatric Dentist for Special Needs Kids

Choosing the right pediatric dentist for a child is a big decision; finding the right pediatric dentist for a child with autism, ADHD, a sensory processing disorder, or other special needs presents an even greater challenge. The typical dental office is an environment filled to the brim with new and unusual sights, sounds, smells, and textures that can be overwhelming for a child with special needs. With the right medical accommodations, recommendations from healthcare professionals, and an office environment tailored to comfort your child, bringing your child to the dentist can be a positive experience.  

Why Specialized Dental Care Is Important for Children with Special Needs

The goal of every pediatric dentist is to help children grow up well with good oral health, strong oral hygiene habits, and positive associations with dental care. Pediatric dentists who work with children who have special needs have these same goals. They must, however, be flexible in their treatment approach to successfully achieve these goals with patients who have a wide variety of unique needs. Finding a pediatric dentist who focuses on providing care to kids with special needs helps to ensure your child has positive experiences during their dental treatments.

Pediatric dentists who specialize in special needs care undergo additional training that ensures they are experienced and well-prepared to provide care to children of all developmental, mental, and physical abilities. Additionally, pediatric dentists for children with special needs prefer to work with your child's entire healthcare team to understand his or her needs and abilities in order to provide the most appropriate accommodations.

Through a collaborative and highly personalized treatment approach, pediatric dentists can achieve successful treatment outcomes and prevent children from experiencing fear, stress, and anxiety during their dental appointments.  

A Different Approach to Treatment: How a Pediatric Special Needs Dentist Modifies Care

Preventative and Holistic Care

Pediatric dentists place a strong emphasis on providing exceptional preventative dental care, using evidence-based treatments and a holistic approach designed to support total-body wellness in patients, and these focuses are no different when treating patients with special needs.

We emphasize the importance of routine dental appointments and good oral hygiene because they help patients avoid the need for more invasive treatments or lengthy dental appointments. Additionally, we always take into account our young patients' unique needs when providing treatment recommendations and options to parents and guardians. We want to ensure that you fully understand your child's oral health and the treatment options available.  

Personalized Treatment Approach

We understand that every child is unique and has different needs. While some children find too much sensory input overwhelming, other children seek out sensory experiences to soothe themselves. Likewise, some children can feel more relaxed when they know exactly what to expect during their dental appointments, while knowing what is coming causes other children to experience unnecessary anxiety.  

Our goal - especially at the beginning of our doctor-patient and doctor-parent relationship - is to get to know your child and his or her unique needs. We encourage parents and guardians to talk with us about their child's needs, accommodations we can make to help, and any concerns they might have. The more we know about your child, the better we can provide them care in a way that builds trust and creates positive associations with dental visits.

With this personalized information from you, our team can blend this information with the lessons we've learned throughout our years of experience to provide exceptional care to patients with special needs. As your child grows and develops, we continue working with parents and your child's healthcare team, to adjust our approach and ensure we are always providing your child with the highest level of care possible.  

Meet and Greet Appointments

Fear of the unknown can trigger anxiety for anyone. So, helping to reduce what is unknown can sometimes help patients with special needs during their dental appointments.

Pediatric dentists who treat patients with special needs always welcome families to stop by the dental office for a non-treatment visit. These types of drop-ins can be helpful for patients with special needs because they allow them to see our office environment, play in the waiting area, meet our dentist, and meet our hygienists all while becoming increasingly familiar with the place - without the pressure of an impending dental examination or cleaning.  

By getting acquainted with the office, waiting area, and team, children feel safer and more at ease when they return for an actual dental appointment because the entire experience has way fewer unknown factors.  

Environmental Accommodations

The office environment plays a major role in patient experiences for patients with autism spectrum disorder or sensory processing disorder. Dental offices usually contain lots of strange noises, objects, smells, and even tastes during treatment. Pediatric dentists for patients with special needs can help to make accommodations for your child designed to minimize the overwhelming feelings the senses can create.  

Accommodations that can be made include selectively choosing which types of tools we work with or which flavors of polish, floss, or toothpaste we use. We can turn off the music in our office or switch it to play something that calms your child. We can dim the lights or schedule your child for a quieter time during the day.  

Flexible Scheduling

Pediatric dentists who specialize in treating patients with special needs offer flexible scheduling. This could mean providing you with the ability to bring your child into the office at a time when no other patients are present, scheduling appointments during the best time of day for your child, and/or scheduling more time for your child's appointment so that they are able to take breaks from their dental care for a more pleasant experience that progresses at a pace that feels comfortable for them.  

Healthcare Team Collaboration

Children with special needs benefit greatly from having a healthcare team comprised of doctors, dentists, and other providers who are willing to collaborate and work together to provide the best possible treatment. Special needs pediatric dentists are accustomed to working with their patients' doctors to gain a thorough understanding of the child's needs, abilities, potential risks, and any accommodations and considerations that should be made. Working directly with your child's doctor helps us prepare the right medical accommodations to provide your child with the best possible dental care.  

Comfort Items and Rewards

Pediatric dentists for special needs children both welcome and provide comfort items for patients. These items might include stuffed animals from home, a weighted blanket, noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, or soothing music.  

Additionally, offering a child a reward to reinforce their good behavior at the dentist can help them associate positive feelings and good things with visiting our office.  

Sedation Dentistry

For some children, sedation dentistry is the best option for accessing dental care. While some children might require sedation dentistry for routine checkups and cleanings, others might simply benefit from it during more lengthy or invasive dental appointments (for example, getting a cavity filled). Sedation dentistry makes it possible for patients to get the care they need safely and without creating fear, stress, anxiety, or a negative experience.  

The most common types of sedation dentistry used in pediatric dentistry include light sedation with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and moderate, oral conscious sedation with prescription medications taken orally. Pediatric dentists for children with special needs work closely with each patient's healthcare provider to ensure proper dosing and administration for safety, efficacy, and positive treatment outcomes.  

How to Find a Dentist for Special Needs Kids

To find a dentist that specializes in care for children with special needs, we recommend:

• Asking your child's pediatrician for recommendations

• Getting recommendations from support groups for parents of children with special needs

• Researching online and reading reviews

• Scheduling consultations to meet the dentists in person to see if you like their communication style, office environment, and treatment approach

• Look around the office for quiet spaces, calming colors, and other sensory-friendly elements

• Appraising their understanding of children with special needs

• Finding out if they're experienced with your child's specific condition

• Learning about the accommodations they have in place

• Asking about behavior management techniques

• Finding out if they offer sedation dentistry

Looking for a Special Needs Pediatric Dentist in Bellevue? Learn More About How We Can Accommodate Your Child

At Expedition Dentistry, we specialize in providing dental care to children of all ages with special needs, including children with neurodivergent challenges and other unique healthcare needs. Our special needs dentist for kids, Dr. Miller has extensive experience. After completing dental school, Dr. Miller attended an additional three years of training where she spent her time working with children who required treatment adaptations and accommodations in their dental care. We work closely with each patient's entire healthcare team to facilitate and improve collaboration to develop the most appropriate care plan. Our entire team is committed to ensuring successful outcomes and positive experiences for all of our young patients. Connect with us to schedule your visit with our special needs pediatric dentist in Bellevue.  

‍