Dental care for patients with special needs requires specialized knowledge acquired by additional training, as well as increased awareness, adaptation, and accommodative measures beyond routine treatment. At Growing Smiles, we have the experience necessary to provide suitable dental care while keeping in mind the unique nature of the children we see. Children and adults with special health care needs (SHCN) need oral treatment like everyone else, but they benefit the most from seeing a dentist who specifically caters to these patients. Special needs dentistry is a branch of dentistry for which doctors have undergone additional training, and so has their assistants and office staff. When looking for a dentist, parents of SHCN patients should find a practitioner who understands the wide range of issues these patients face and can accommodate those needs.
Children with SHCN require routine dental care but often need additional attention as well. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) defines pediatric special needs dentistry as the practices that treat children with a physical, emotional, developmental, cognitive, sensory, or mental impairment, as well as those affected by an orofacial disorder or condition. Treatment for kids with SHCN includes examinations, fillings, and cleanings along with regular care, but these dentists embrace a unique understanding of the effects of a child’s condition to provide effective treatment. Children affected by an orofacial disorder require this medically specialized dental care.
An appointment with a special needs dentist is generally different from a visit with a regular dentist. The special needs dentist is aware of and tailors his or her approach to the patient’s additional needs. According to Evelyn Chung, DDS, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California Dental School Section of Hospital Dentistry, patients with SHCN usually require a slower approach than usual, and their appointments should be set when the clinic isn’t as busy. O. Lee Wilson, DMD, and Chair of Dentistry at The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine finds the best method for treating sensitive patients with SHCN is to provide them with general anesthesia in an operating room.
Many dentists have the compassion and understanding required to treat children with SHCN, but only some specialize in these patients, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Luckily, these dentists can be found through most usual channels, such as advertising in local media. The Special Care Dentistry Association even maintains a searchable database of registered members. You can also contact your local university or dentistry college; many of them run clinics that treat children and adults with SHCN.
Certain factors can inform parents’ decisions when it comes to choosing a special needs dentist for their child. The well-trained office staff at a practice that treats children with SHCN can discern the nature of the condition, and take note of whether he is under regular treatment from a medical practitioner. The AAPD says the receptionist may arrange a slightly longer appointment and the presence of auxiliary staff under the guidance of the dentist. Above all, a good special needs dentistry practice will contain specialized equipment, such as an operating theater, and a dentist who takes a detailed history that shapes his or her treatment delivery around the patient’s unique needs. Advice on day-to-day oral health care for the child should factor in these needs, as well. For example, using a battery-powered toothbrush such as Colgate® Minions™talking Battery Powered Toothbrushes provides the bristle movements that challenged children need to take care of their teeth. It’s important that parents feel comfortable with the dentist and confident their child’s needs are being met. Raising someone with SHCN can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Finding the right dentist is only one item on a long list of considerations you’ll have
We are always here to assist when your child’s dental health is at risk. If you face a dental emergency, please give us a call immediately. We also provide after-hours emergency number to ensure you child will always be safe.
Accidents, dental injuries, and tooth damage can happen at any time, day or night, and they often demand immediate attention. In cases such as these, an emergency dentist who offers after-hours services can provide the care you need. You should also know how to take care of your dental discomfort at home until the dentist is able to see you. Doing so is likely to improve the outcome from your emergency dental treatment and also decrease the chances of complications down the road.
If you have mild tooth sensitivity, bad breath, sore gums, or other relatively minor dental ailments, make an appointment with your regular dentist for a checkup. While it is important to treat these conditions promptly, they are not dental emergencies. On the other hand, the conditions below do require emergency care. Here is some guidance for handling each one.
Toothache pain can be overwhelming, making it impossible to eat, sleep, and carry out your daily obligations. Serious tooth pain is often caused by a dental abscess or infection, or by serious decay that has irritated the nerves in and around your tooth. When tooth pain does not respond to over-the-counter pain relievers, you can consider it a dental emergency. Call an emergency dentist, and follow these tips until they are able to see you:
Never apply aspirin or another pain reliever directly to your tooth or gums, as this can irritate the gum tissue and make matters a lot worse.
Your emergency dentist will examine the tooth and take x-rays to determine the cause of the pain. You may need a root canal or extraction to treat the abscess and associated pain; antibiotics may also be prescribed.
If you chip or break a tooth, whether while eating or while engaging in sport, it’s important to see the dentist as soon as possible. The sooner you receive treatment, the more likely it is that your dentist will be able to reattach the broken piece to your damaged tooth. Save any pieces of the chipped tooth that you find, and rinse them gently in warm water. Place them in a cup of milk, and take them to the dentist’s office with you.
If your chipped or cracked tooth is painful, you can ease the pain by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen. Hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek, and if you are bleeding, bite down on a piece of gauze to slow the bleeding.
Having a tooth knocked out of your mouth can be traumatic, but take a deep breath and remember that emergency dentists treat this kind of situation often. If you are able to see a dentist within an hour, there is a pretty good chance the dentist will be able to re-insert the tooth into its socket and save it.
Have a friend call the dentist immediately while you focus on the lost tooth. Always lift up the lost tooth by the crown, rather than the root, since you do not want to introduce any bacteria or other pathogens to the tooth root. If there is any debris or dirt on the tooth, run it under some clean, cold water, but do not dry it on anything. Push it back into its socket, making sure that it is facing the right way, and bite down slowly to keep it in place until you reach the emergency dentist. If you cannot easily get the tooth back into its socket, store it in a container of milk. Pharmacies also sell a product called Save-a-Tooth that you can place a lost tooth in if you happen to have it on hand.
The emergency treatment process for a lost tooth involves cleaning the socket to remove any debris, and then re-inserting the tooth in its socket. Your dentist may use wire or a special splint to hold the tooth in place. Over the next few weeks, the bone will fuse to the teeth, rendering it stable in the jaw once again.
If you chip or crack a filling and do not experience intense pain, you can probably wait until your regular dental office is open to seek treatment. If you lose a filling completely, you can place some sugar-free gum in the empty space. If this keeps you comfortable enough, you can see your normal dentist to have the filling replaced within a few days. If the pain is unbearable, contact an emergency dentist, who can insert a new filling promptly.
A lost crown is a dental emergency, but as with a lost filling, you should be able to put off treatment until your general dentist is available. In the meantime, you can apply clove oil to the tooth to alleviate any soreness. You can also apply some denture glue to the tooth and slip the crown back over it. Never use super glue to reattach the crown. If you cannot get the crown to stay securely on your tooth, store it in a plastic bag until you are able to get to the dentist. While you don’t need to see the dentist the same night you lose the crown, do make an appointment as soon as possible. Putting off treatment may lead to additional damage to the tooth.
A loose braces bracket is not a reason to visit your emergency dentist at 12:00 am, but it is a reason to see your orthodontist or general dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can use orthodontic wax to hold the loose bracket in place. Also apply some wax over the top of the bracket so that it does not rub on your cheek. Your orthodontist will probably need to re-cement the bracket or replace it entirely.
If a wire in your braces breaks off or starts poking you in the cheek, this is similarly an emergency that can wait until the next day. To stop the wire from poking you, try using a pencil eraser to bend it back against your teeth. Do not cut the wire; it may accidentally get stuck in your tongue, or you may swallow it. Cover the end of the wire with some orthodontic wax to prevent it from rubbing on your cheek. Try to stick to soft foods until you have your braces repaired so that you don’t cause more extensive damage.
A dental abscess is an infection that occurs in or around a tooth root. Abscesses can cause serious dental pain, and they can be dangerous as they might spread into the jaw bone, nearby teeth, or even your blood. It’s important to seek treatment for a suspected dental abscess as soon as possible to reduce the chance of the infection spreading. If you have a fever or severe pain, call an emergency dentist for immediate care. If you do not have a fever and are able to manage your pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, you can call your general dentist in the morning; they will probably want to see you the same day or the next day.
As with any toothache, you can keep abscess pain under control with cold compresses, salt water rinses, and sticking to soft foods. Your dentist may prescribe antibiotics for you to take before you come into the office; this often helps alleviate pain as it helps your body fight off the infection. Abscesses are often treated with a root canal procedure. If the tooth is badly infected, an extraction is an affordable treatment option.
If you suffer an injury to your mouth that results in tissue damage and bleeding, your best bet is to go to the emergency room. The doctors there can stitch up any external cuts and refer you to an emergency dentist for any damage to your teeth or oral tissues. Until you reach the emergency room, you can control bleeding by placing pressure on the wounded area with a cold compress. Rinse your mouth with cool water to control any bleeding from internal cuts and to keep the area clean.
We provide service early orthodontic treatment along with comprehensive orthodontic treatments to meet your child’s needs. We offer different types to of orthodontic treatments including metal braces, ceramic braces and Invisalign.
Growing Smiles is a premier pediatric dentistry practice proudly serving the community of Richardson, Texas, and its surrounding areas. Dr. Khaled Jadid and Dr. Raghid Alolab is thrilled to welcome you as a patient to the practice where we have a chance to earn your trust and establish a lifelong relationship. It is our hope that you will be so pleased with our practice and services that you will refer all of your friends and family to see us as well!
Orthodontics is a type of dental treatment that corrects any jaw and tooth positioning issues. The goal of all orthodontic treatments is to straighten your teeth in such a way that the upper and lower sets of teeth meet in perfect alignment.
As the name suggests, children’s orthodontics is dedicated to the teeth straightening treatment and evaluation for young kids. The main difference between children’s orthodontics and the adult version is that the treatment protocols of the former are more preventative in nature. In addition to common orthodontic objectives, a children’s dentist identifies the bad habits and early problems that can cause future alignment issues – and nips them in the bud.
There are significant advantages to wearing braces during childhood. A growing child’s teeth and jaws are more easily shaped, as opposed to adults who have to bear a lot more pain, given their developed neuromuscular structure. Of course, the biggest benefit of undergoing orthodontic procedures in childhood is having a beautiful and healthy smile in adulthood.
The other benefits of Early Orthodontic Intervention are as follows:
Identifies and prevents further development of poor mouth habits like thumb sucking, mouth breathing and tongue thrusting.
Prevents developmental flaws in the child’s jaw and teeth – before they develop and grow into bad bites, or worse, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
Reduces need for future treatments, including surgery
Save thousands in adult orthodontic treatments
Higher quality results with lower risks and chances of relapse
Although orthodontic treatments may be prescribed for patients of any age, they were believed to be the most effective for young children around the age of 12 or 13 – before the teenage “growth spurt” years – as their teeth were considered more malleable at this stage. New research, however, indicate positive results for children starting preventative evaluation and treatment from as early as 6 or 7 years of age.
Confirming what oral care experts have been saying for years, extensive research has found that early orthodontic intervention significantly reduces the patient’s need for later treatment, while improving their overall oral health. For parents, early orthodontic treatment represents potential savings in the thousands – not to mention a lot less hassle for their young ones later on in life.
If your child has no pre-existing conditions, the best time to see a dentist is between the ages of 6 and 7. It should be understood, however, that certain conditions – even if detected at a younger age – are best left until the child grows older. Patients with teeth that are protruding or inward turning are normally treated between the ages of 8 and 10.
Other problems like deep bites and severe crowding may be addressed between the ages of 11 or 12. Even more pronounced issues – like a protruding lower jaw, gaps between the main front two incisors and congenitally missing teeth – are best treated between the ages of 13 and 15.