My son has badly decayed teeth- the second from back molars on the top on both sides. He’s profoundly autistic and dental work is only possible under general. Teeth cleaning has always been a struggle but I have been as diligent as possible. I’m horrified and feeling very guilty, the cavities formed between his teeth and I think that they will likely remove the adjacent molars as well, he is having this done at a private hospital by an oral surgeon as the nhs wait was over a year and I’m not prepared to wait. The surgeon has said that he will remove any teeth that he thinks are decayed and we then need to continue to work with the dentist to get him to the point where he can tolerate other treatments. Im terrified they’re going to get in there and need to remove a whole load of teeth. His bottom teeth all look fine, generally it’s easier to brush them. I know it’s best to get it all done in one go but I’m worried about the long term impacts on eating and his adult teeth (that said, crooked teeth run in the family and a dentist has said he will need braces one day). What should I expect after surgery, he has no understanding of why this is happening and I can’t explain it or prepare him.
I know we need to work on his diet and brushing, he has a limited diet but I do try and cut all sweets/chocolate/ dried fruit and juice. He snacks a lot at home but I try to keep it to fruit, crackers, popcorn and rice cakes. With such a limited diet already it’s hard to cut things because introducing alternatives is so hard. Feeling like a total failure and so stressed about this.