Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Case #2
My daughter is only 5 3/4 years old, so I will tell you of her experience, what helps and what doesn't.
She needs to be constantly thinking about something except what she is going through. It worked when the dentist counted her teeth and made it fun. When they were polishing her teeth they kept talking exciting things to her. It was devastating when they bonded her two back molars because she had to keep her mouth open and in a set position for a while. It seems like there could be a mouth piece to hold the mouth open and the tongue down - or just put the child to sleep. She really made a spectacle of herself and others who were listening must have thought she was being tortured. Oh, and the waiting time (in the chair) is probably what made everything 90% worse. If you can get these kids in and out, with NO waiting after they've been called in, it would be so much easier.
Case #3
I have only had my 8 year old boy for about 8 months now but we have made 3 trips to the dentist. First he had 5 baby teeth fall out and I felt it was time for a check-up. Since brushing his teeth is a major chore for him...mainly he forgets unless I stand over him; he had 2 cavities. The first visit was for a cleaning and check-up. The next 2 visits were for fillings in his baby teeth. I had to space his fillings over a period of a month as doesn't like things in his mouth - fingers, cotton, instruments, etc.
He was quite brave and I never heard a peep out of him but after he was very tired and cranky. As soon as the freezing was gone he was fine but tired from the ordeal. After each visit he would refuse to go again. That's why the spacing of the visits. His adult teeth are a bit crooked and he will need braces when all his adult teeth are in. I'm not looking forward to that as he really doesn't like foreign objects in or on him. He dislocated his elbow once and spent a great deal of time trying to remove the cast; to the point it had to be redone. Some children with FAS cannot tolerate some tastes, textures or restrictions via casts or braces.
Case #4
My adopted daugher has quite a few dental problems. Her baby teeth came in crooked. She tongue thrusts out of one side of her mouth. Her cheek muscles are not strong enough to put the food on her teeth so the food just sits in her mouth no matter how much she drinks. Late eruption for everyting - about 4 months late.
She can't use her lips to wipe food off a spoon, so she wipes the food off with her teeth, OK that makes your hair stand on end - you ought to hear it! She has about three facial expressions, smile, cry and nothing. I expect her adult dentition will come in large and crooked and perhaps supernumerary. Her tastes run to salty - some FAS kids seem to love sweets. Speech is slurred and indistinct. She had 13 cavities on her third birthday and drooled until the age of three.
