Special Needs Pediatric Dentist Dr. Sara Babich

Pediatric Dentist Dr. Sara’s 15 Tips for Your Special Needs Child’s First Dental Visits

As a special needs pediatric dentist, Dr. Sara has specialized training in the care of special needs children. From check-in to check-out, our entire staff focuses on your special needs child’s visits. We make adaptations to help special needs patients feel comfortable. As a leading dentist that work with special needs kids Dr. Sara recognize each child’s unique needs and take extra care to help him/her feel comfortable.

The Earlier the Better

• All special needs children need dental care. Unfortunately, a variety of factors keeps many of them from getting the care they need.
• The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Deep cavities and toothaches can be a cause for behavioral outbursts.
• It’s tough for a child experiencing dental pain to sleep, concentrate and eat. Getting your child to the dentist can help him/her thrive in daily life.
• Unfamiliarity with surroundings, unpredictability of procedures and physical invasiveness are challenges of a dental exam. Going to the pediatric dentist can be stressful for parents and special needs children. Early visits with a well-trained special needs dentist like Dr. Sara goes a long way toward alleviating these anxieties.

Early intervention and prevention are key. Instruction in correct brushing, flossing, limited snacking and regular visits with a special needs pediatric dentist is essential.

For more information about prevention and early intervention please call Dr. Sara, NYC dentist for special needs and a leading kids specialist in New York.

15 Tips for Your Special Needs Child’s First Pediatric Dental Visit

Here are some tips for parents of special needs children, including anxious children, to make a dental visit go smoothly:

• Consider timing. If possible, schedule morning appointments, when young children are usually alert, not tired.
• Prepare your child. Explain why it is important to go to the pediatric dentist for special needs child specialist. Stay positive and build excitement and understanding. Bringing a child in and having the dentist only count his teeth as he lies in the chair can be a great starting point for familiarizing him with the sights, sounds and smells of a dental office.
• Don’t talk about shots or pain with children. Use positive phrases like “clean, strong, healthy teeth” to keep the visit from sounding scary. You might also explain that the dentist for special needs child specialist helps him have a beautiful smile for many years to come.
• Prepare yourself. Discuss your questions and concerns with Dr. Sara before the exam. It’s a good idea for the parent to visit the office alone before the child’s first visit.
• Prepare the dentist. Provide a complete health record, including conditions, medications and current issues. Don’t be embarrassed to discuss your child’s behaviors so we can be prepared. Don’t be afraid to offer Dr. Sara tips that you think may make the visit easier for your child.
• Play Dentist at home with a pretend exam. Get your child to recline, open her mouth wide and allow you to look at the teeth, for example. Perhaps use a toothbrush to touch the inside of the child’s teeth.
• Let your child role-play by using a toothbrush to clean the teeth of a stuffed animal or doll. The key is getting your child familiar with the routine so that she’s more comfortable for the real visit.
• Have a no-nonsense attitude: Teach your child that visiting the children’s special needs dentist is a necessity, not a choice. Explain that the dentist will take care of his teeth so that they are strong enough for him/her to eat favorite foods.
• Bring along whatever your child requires for comfort. If they have a favorite blanket, animal, beads or fidget toy bring the item along. Allow the child to have it at all times.
• Incorporate oral care into daily life. Dr. Sara will guide you on this. As a special needs parent, you may be dealing with many significant health needs in your children. But it’s important not to let oral health slip.
• Consider requesting that daily oral care be added to your child’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) during school time.
• Get some apps and/or books. The “Off We Go to The Dentist” app for iPad shows your child what is likely to happen. It also plays some typical dentist office sounds .“My Healthy Smile for iPhone” helps teach children about good oral health. It also can ease anxieties about dental visits. Picture books with detailed illustrations and easy-to-understand language can also help children.
• Read Spongebob Squarepants’ “Behold No Cavities! A Visit to the Dentist” And here are seven picture books to get young children read to go to the dentist. Other helpful books include “A Trip to the special needs kids dentist” by Penny Smith and “Going to the Dentist” by Fred Rogers.
• Before the appointment, Dr. Sara will discuss healthy lifestyle and diet options as well as daily oral hygiene techniques suitable for your child.
• Tooth decay is almost 100 percent preventable. With proper care, every child can have a healthy smile.

Dr. Sara is a dentist that work with special needs kids for over 2 decades.  She is committed to providing a comprehensive dental treatment for infants, children, adolescents and special needs kids. As a leading pediatric dentist for special needs children, Dr. Sara provides the most technologically advanced, time-tested dental care for kids with special needs.

Is Sedation Dentistry Right for Your Kid?

As young children grow up, they are exposed to all sorts of different experiences, including visits to the pediatric dentist. Not surprisingly, some kids feel apprehensive or even scared about
seeing a dentist and especially if it is their first time and they are in dental pain. When this is the case, and a young child needs dental treatment, it’s possible the special needs dentist Dr. Sara may suggest sedation dentistry.

Why Choose Sedation Dentistry For Children With Disability?

It’s unpleasant enough for your child to suffer a severe toothache or other dental problems and to need urgent dental care. It can be even worse for a young child who has never experienced all the
sights, sounds and smells in a dental office and who now must cope with a brand-new experience on top of dental pain.

Even though many local pediatric dentists including Dr. Sara have dental offices especially designed to create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere for kids, being somewhere new can still feel a bit scary. Dental sedation is an excellent way for children special needs to receive dental care in a  way that is non-threatening and far more comfortable. With sedation dentistry, it’s possible for your child to feel entirely relaxed and calm, ensuring treatment is far more pleasant and bearable. The level of dental sedation can also be adjusted to suit your child’s levels of concerns or fears, and to the type of treatment that they need.

It is critical to ensure your child has a more comfortable experience at the dentist and especially if they already have fears and phobias. If they associate the dentist with pain, it could worsen the
problem and may leave them with deep-seated fears that last for life.

Dental sedation can be appropriate for children with special needs or behavioral disorders and who have difficulty understanding why dental care is necessary. Undergoing dental treatment can be frightening for them so receiving dental sedation can help them remain calm and comfortable during their appointment.

Do you have any questions about the dentistry for special needs children we offer in NYC? Would you like to schedule an appointment with the top New York City special needs pediatric dentist Dr. Sara Babich? Please call our office at 212-988-4070 or visit our Manhattan kids dentistry center in on Upper East Side.

Pediatric Dentistry: Dr. Sara B. Babich, DDS
116 E 84th St
New York, NY 10028
(84th St. btw Park Ave / Lex Ave)
☎ 212-988-4070

Contact us today to learn more about our
New York City pediatric dentistry practice 212.988.4070