Not just a SN question, so pls all feel free to advise - 1ST DENTIST APPT, HELPPPPPPPP

[Thomcat]

I can't tell you how much I'm dreading it. Perhaps the fact that she's 4 at Xmas and this is her first appointment to see the dentist tells you something? I shouldn't have put it off for so long but the dread and busy life and ohhhh whatever, anyway.........

yoiu may, or may not know, Lottie has Down's syndrome. Weekly appointments at the hospital to pull her, poke her, prod her, and being used as a pin cushion and regular blood tests which are hugely traumatic, have all made her the sort of little girl who will not sit through these thigs quietly. She howls. It's pretty awful as most parents can appreciate, but as a rule I'm gently firm with her and just get through it becasue you have to. (Although I have never not had eyes full of tears at the blood tests, but anyway.)

We have a big family appt to see dentist on Thursday morning, daddy & mummy both being seen as well.

Please, any tips on how to get Lottie through this? She will absolutley freak, I'm prepared for that, but like the hearing test last week, any tips that I can use on the day would be massively appreciated.

TIA - TC

What about reading a book to her about going to the dentist? You get quite a good one in the Topsy & Tim range.

Hiya
Yep bought one and been reading it! Thanks.

Show her what the dentist will do in advance as a game? Use a teaspoon as the mirror thingy and waggle it around in her mouth? Let her sit on your or DHs lap? Would she look forward to the sticker afterwards? Sorry all a bit lame really. She might surprise you - particularly if she sees you and DH go first.

Speak to the dentist beforehand - maybe if you have your teeth checked first then you can have Lottie on your lap and cuddle her while the dentist checks her teeth although at this stage, I would think that the dentist will do no more than count her teeth! Good luck.

We see a sn dentist and she is lovely. Really understanding and patient.

Sorry I can't be very helpful as dd didn't even get as far as going to the dentist before going to see the sn one.

Good luck xxx

Let her watch you go through it first so she can see that it doesn't hurt and is straightforward. Hopefully the dentist will be sympathetic, chatty and just try to get a quick tooth count and assessment of their condition. She may be able to sit on one of your laps in the chair and stare at a light or mirror while the dentists has a look.

Does she grasp the idea of bribery, if all else fails ? Also try not to impart your fears on her, hard though it might be.

Good luck.

Should add that first couple of times DD1 went she never got any further than sitting in the seat - which was all the dentist really wanted her to do - i.e. get used to the environment so don't expect too much.

okay, will not expect much and will be cool if all we do is get her to sit on chair, she should love that tbh.
Won't impart my fears on her, don't worry, I'm good at pretending it's all good when I know she's gonna kick off, and I'm usually juyst gently firm in these matters, even the awful blood tests.
Might have to look into a SN dentish Blossom, didn't know there was sucha thing, I'll see how Thursday goes.
Like it's been said, she may well surprise us, esp if she sees us going first, will practice with games and books etc first as well, as no bribery doesn't work, although i'll give it a go anyway!

Thanks.

Hope it goes well on Thursday

Agree with everything said. DS had his first check up at 3.5 yr's and he was fine. He was only in the chair for a minute and most of that time was spent with the dentist showing DS how to use the buttons. Just a quick count and it was all over.

Is it at all possible to do a dry run visit so that she can see the dentist's office and just look inside?.

I wish you all the very best of luck come Thursday.

I think Ellie has a dentist come to her SN School.

We have not braved a trip to the Dentist yet, I think Ellie would scream at him! And he would be a brave man to put a finger near her mouth !!!

Am going to brave it at half term, hopefully seeing Grace go first (if Grace will even let hime near her!!!) she may feel she should have a go also !!

Can live in hope!

Sorry Coppertop, no help whatsoever!!!!!

Let us know how it goes

oh, and dd took a doll along to be checked too at her appointment yesterday.

FWIW, my (NT) DD is 3.1 and refuses point blank to open her mouth for the dentist

Taking my dd for the first time this week - over the last few days when cleaning teeth etc we've been chatting about going, about the special chair which lies down and goes up and down, about the dentist putting fingers in her mouth to look at the teeth and having a funny long spoon to help see etc.

Lord knows whether it will have any effect when the day comes, but she seems pretty cheerful at the moment!

Oh yes, I remember now that the dentist did move the chair up and down a few times for ds's first visit so that he could 'fly' in the 'magic chair' coupled with the fact that the denist was young, pretty and smiled a lot - ds loved his dentist and I'm sure Lottie will too, she will charm all the staff in the surgery!

I would not worry too much if she won't sit in the chair, open mouth etc. Just get her used to being at the dentists first.

My autistic ds had a tooth that died and had to have treatment. We took him on visits to the downstairs play area and then gradually moved upstairs. His school also helped by talking to him about it at his level and making lots of fuss after the event. My dentist says he has never yet had to refer a child on to the SN dentist. He held the equipment out of ds eye level and talked very kindly and calmly and popped out the tooth. Ds didn't even know it had happened.

Good luck

Hi Thomcat, have you spoken to your dentist to make him/her aware of Lotties needs. When parent's are thinking of bringing their children in to see me I usually have a quick chat with the parents to find out how they cope with situations, likely ways they may react etc etc (for instance I see one boy with sn - to be honest not exactly sure what his diagnosis is- and he is terrified of the chair moving). I would advise that you and your dh go first (as long as you are not phobic so she can see what happens. I always take it slow with all new children ask if they want to sit in the chair show them the mirror etc, I never push and if they don't show their teeth first time it doesn't matter. Its all about gaining their trust.

Can you take her to see the surgery before hand? Are you happy that her teeth are ok? Can you brush them well (or does she do them)? Obviously what you don't want is for the first visit to result in her needing to return for further treatment. If that is the case most dentists (if they feel it would be more appropriate) can refer to a special needs dentist (generally reffered to as a community dentist) to have treatment done. These are simply general dentists who specialise in treating patients who find treatment in a run of the mill practice impossible (due to phobias or other reasons) they have more time and more experience in these situations.

I've gone on a bit here. Hope some of it helps, and fingers crossed for Thursday.

I used to get so stressed out by the mear thought of taking Amelia to the dentist, but it hasn't been too bad...so far anyway!

I usually take the children on a seperate appointment from me, that way Amelia isn't left to her own devices while I'm in the chair. She sees DS sit in the chair, and last time I asked who wanted to go first, she said "my go, my go!"

Don't worry about it. If she justs want to sit in the chair, that's something. It is surely all down to being familar with a new environment.

I always smile at the thought of Amelia's last dental check. She behaved like a little angel, sat in the chair, didn't fidget, opened her mouth ...I thought "great!" and was really proud, then he asked her to bite together! I told him I thought he was pushing things a bit far and he had been lucky for her to even sit in the chair. Goodness she was 3.5 with SN!

Good luck TC, let us know how it goes.

Have you been practicing with dollies too!We have a great Pumba (Lion King) whose mouth opens wide to reveal a big pink tongue and one little tooth- something like that would be fun!

All that planning and thinking how to do it for the best and she was so happy to be on the dentists chair, thought it was great! She laid back on command (!), bless us all a kiss and siad 'nigh' night' and pretended to snore!!!!!
When she was asked to open her mouth she said 'nooooooo, aggggggghhhhhhhhh, mummmmmmmmieeeeeeeee' and throughout this the dentist got a pretty good look inside her mouth. She then obliged by pulling all sorts of mad faces and the dentist was able to see a bit more, enought to say it all looked fine anyway.

When i took her off the chair and sat her on daddy's lap so i couldbe seen she said look mummy and opened her mouth so wide I thought the top of her head would fall off!

Little monkey!

So pleased it went well.

That's a relief ! Another thing to cross off your list.

Brilliant, you have given me hope!!

Ours is in October!