According to Statistics Canada, more than 200,000 children are living with disabilities in Canada. Parents of children with special needs often have concerns and questions about dental care options for their children.
Dental Health Care for Your Special Needs Child
Finding the right dentist for their child, how behaviour will be controlled, and whether the dentist and dental team will be able to cope with their child's behaviour if it becomes a problem during treatment are just a few of the concerns that parent's have.
Dental health care may be low on your substantial list of priorities if you're caring for a child with complex needs. However, there are many behavioural, health, and social issues that can be compounded by dental discomfort. Not prioritizing dental care could mean that managing your child's needs is more difficult than it needs to be.
Our Team of Pediatric Dental Professionals is Here to Help
No matter the nature of your child's special needs, our Pediatric dentists are specially trained in effective communication with kids across a spectrum of needs. The children's dentists at SmileTown Langley can help introduce consistent dental care into your child's life in the least stressful manner possible.
Oral Health Care for Children with Special Needs
At Smile Town Dentistry in Langley, we approach each child as an individual, and with kindness and patience. We strive to go above and beyond to provide the best, most appropriate care for every child.
To help your child become accustomed to our office and our staff, we begin by setting up an appointment to meet with you and your child. This will give us the opportunity to get to know you and your child, and to discuss any questions or concerns you might have.
When you return with your child for treatment, we will use a combination of calming techniques, from engaging games to quiet persuasion, to keep him or her happy and calm during treatment.
Dental Sedation Options For Your Special Needs Child
Certain children have emotional or physical barriers to sustained oral health care that cannot be sufficiently resolved using the above approaches. Nonetheless, there are a number of safe anesthesia and sedation options that can be used to help your child's dental treatment go as smoothly as possible.
Pediatric dentists undergo extensive, comprehensive training in the proper use of nitrous oxide, general anesthesia, and oral conscious sedation medications for children.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide can help patients who feel anxious about their treatment to relax, but it does not impair natural reflexes or render the patient unconscious. Nitrous Oxide which is also known as 'laughing gas' is a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Before we commence with treatment, we’ll take the time to explain which type of medication or combination of medications will best serve your child in safely undergoing dental treatment. Oral Conscious Sedation can be achieved using a variety of different medications.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is recommended for children with limited comprehension, extreme behavioural challenges, physical disabilities or who are highly sensitive to pain.
Whatever the needs of your child, our team will find the most effective way to prevent or manage your child's challenges during their dental treatment.