SN friendly dentists

[coff33pot]

Are there such a thing? Heard it mentioned here before sometimes and basically stuck far end of Cornwall with a muppet for a dentist that had me in tears which was the better option or his health!

Hello coff.

Ds sees a sn dentist (I think they are sometimes called community dentists). He was referred by our family dentist, and has been fantastic.

I would ask your dental service for a referral.

I spoke to a dentist that specialises in nervous patients and asked if he would see my Ds to see if he could think about taking him on as a patient.

He is wonderful. Explains everything in short sentences, lets him touch all the tools and stops immediately if DS becomes distressed.

Maybe ask around to see if there is a dentist like that near you?

After a few disasters with our normal dentist, I found that there was a dental access centre (nhs) specialising in nervous and SN patients. It's run at the same place as the emergency dentists (where you can make appts if you don't have a dentist).

We had to be referred (basic ltr) by any health prof so I got ot to do it. I found it by just by googling so might be worth a look.

We see a community dentist too. They are paid a salary rather than making money by bums on seats so can arrange a longer appointment - ds has half an hour just for a check up.

Ah thanks! Community dentist. DS has to go back Friday and doesn't want to owing to the berk stabbing his tongue, telling him he doesn't want teeth like his mum (I have front one missing due to dental cock up!) and saying surely its more important to clean his teeth (he does) and you clean them (he won't have it due to touch) to avoid abcess. Said of course a child feels pain ( he doesn't till too late) and march him to dentist regardless of weather he has a hissy fit (they obviously don't mind him smashing their room up then and running for it when he got chance!)

Told him I didn't want to discuss ds in front of him right now and he still harped on. so ended up saying if he bothered to read notes he wouldn't have to ask or dress me down I front of receptionist!!

Going to ring the GP first thing tomorrow for referral zzzzz :) DS is constantly trying to dig the temporary filling out as he says its not part of his mouth

I used our usual family dentist for 8 years but he could never get an instrument anywhere near DS3s mouth. I heard about SN dentist and so asked school nurse for a referral but tbh felt a bit of a fraud asking for this, don't know why. Even through the appointment was waiting for her to say he doesn't really need to be seen here.
Longer appointment, explained everything to him, let DS feel everything on his hand/arm before she put it anywhere near his mouth. She even managed to fill a couple of deep dips in back teeth and wants to see him every 6 months. He had a mini meltdown afterwards but that was unsurprising as we were told not to expect any immediate treatment so hadn't prepared him for this but it was over very quickly, possibly helped by a visit to the toyshop.

zzzz interesting about the fluoride and protection for back teeth, will ask about that next time we are there.

zzzz yes, the SN dentist said that had we carried on seeing our usual dentist then the teeth would have decayed. It's so annoying that nobody tells you these things and it's just chance that you find out. Best of luck for your DS, hope all goes well.

dd1 has had excellent treatment from our standard nhs dentist, including crevice sealant and fluoride treatment (why was it so horrible, Polter? I watched dd1 have it and it seemed fine?)

But he said he didn't have the techniques to be able to deal with ds and his teeth and referred us on

Our DS with ASD use to see our current dentist, though he is really good he just didn't get how to deal with our son, in the end I rang nhs direct and explained the situation and is there a local dentist that specialised in SN, lucky for us they gave us the name of a little community hospital, we rang and told them the situation and they gave us an appointment.
The dentist is a lovely lady who lets him take his time getting in the chair and lets him hold her tools and she talks really calmly to him and says what she is going to do keeping all dialogue short, the last few times he's been my DS let her coat his teeth with crevice sealant which she paints on with a tiny brush, she really is amazing to watch!

We have a special care dental service at our local hospital ( the only one in our county). Ds had to be referred by the school nurse, but I think other health professionals could also refer. They are very patient, experienced with frightened and disabled patients and have facilities (should they be needed) for conscious sedation (NO2). Prior to that our local dentist was excellent for simple check ups but ds needed some fillings and simple could not cope unless sedated.

That sounds horrible, Polter. I know that a couple of awful nhs dentists put me off dental treatment for years, the one we have now we have been with for 15 years and he is lovely, we travel quite a way to see him, but it is worth it.

When dd1 had the fluoride treatment, she said it was fine, so hopefully they have changed their techniques. Ds will have it, but under general anaesthetic.

The sn dentist that ds is something else altogether, but after he has his back molars removed next month, he will be seen at the hospital.