Special Needs
Everyone needs good dental care, but not all dentists are equipped to help kids with special needs. This is why many parents come to Cochran, Soares, and Associates Pediatric Dentistry for their child’s dental treatment. We provide high-quality, compassionate dental care to special needs kids.
As your child’s dentist in Jacksonville and St. Johns, FL, we can help your child maintain healthy teeth and gums. Our specialized dental services are tailored to the needs of our patients. We know your child has unique needs, and we’re here to help.
Special Needs Pediatric Dentistry Services Jacksonville and St. Johns, FL
We provide our patients with many services to help support good oral health and hygiene. Below are some of the services that your child can access when you take them to our practice.
Dental Cleaning and Exam
We offer dental cleanings and exams to clean your child’s teeth and polish their tooth enamel. During the exam portion of your child’s visit, we’ll look for problems like cavities, cracks in the tooth enamel, signs of gum disease, and more.
Special needs children often struggle with their oral health. It’s hard for them to maintain clean, healthy teeth. During the exam, we can catch problems in their early stages, to prevent your child from developing more serious dental problems later.
Cavity Fillings
Cavities are painful and unpleasant. If left untreated, cavities can also lead to dental infection. We offer cavity fillings from amalgam or composite material, to restore your child’s teeth and stop dental decay from spreading.
Flouride Treatments
Fluoride treatments help remineralize your child’s teeth, to make them more resistant to cavities and tooth decay. We offer fluoride treatments as a part of your child’s usual oral exam and cleaning routine.
X-Rays
Dental X-rays help us identify problems that can’t be seen with eyes alone. Dental X-rays can catch problems like hidden cracks, cavities in the teeth, wisdom teeth growing in, and more.
Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry is a type of dentistry that can fix your child’s teeth when they become damaged or broken. Restorative dentistry includes crowns and dental fillings. If your child has a damaged tooth, our restorative dentistry services can save your child from pain and more problems.
What Do Special Needs Kids Require From Their Dentist?
Children with special needs are at risk of dental problems like tooth decay and poor oral hygiene. They often struggle to keep their teeth clean, and may not have good oral hygiene habits. Kids with special needs sometimes take medications that can do damage to their teeth, and they’re more likely to struggle with certain conditions like bruxism.
Because of these problems, kids with special needs often require more from every visit to the dentist. They may need longer appointments, so their dentist can take their time to work through treatments. Special needs kids often respond better when their treatment can move at a slower pace.
Your child with special needs may require a long appointment with extra steps. We’re prepared to give our special needs patients longer appointments to help address their dental problems and help them maintain good oral health.
Parents with special needs kids often have unique questions relating to their child’s oral health. We build in time for questions and treatment with every appointment, so you can get the advice you need to take care of your child’s teeth and gums.
Common Oral Health Problems
Children with special needs often have unique challenges in maintaining healthy teeth. It’s common for special needs kids to have malformed or missing teeth, crowded teeth, gum disease, delayed tooth eruption, and bruxism. Our team is specially trained to work with you and your child to help navigate these challenges.
What Do We Mean By Special Needs?
We treat children who have many conditions, including Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, heart conditions, and more.
Why Choose Us for Special Needs Dentistry?
Parents choose us for special needs dentistry because our dental professionals have experience working with children of all ages and with many medical diagnoses or conditions.
- Supportive environment: We provide a supportive environment for children with special needs. Our experienced, compassionate dental experts are here to help your child get the dental care they need to maintain healthy teeth.
- Comfortable dental environment: Our modern dental facilities are comfortable for kids and their parents. We’ve designed our dental office to be a good place for your child to get dental care.
- Gentle dental care: Kids should feel safe at the dentist’s office. This is why we offer gentle dental care, so your child can feel good during and immediately following their dental appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Dentistry
What is special needs dentistry?
Special needs dentistry is practiced on a person with cognitive or physical disabilities or delays. It is compassionate, effective dentistry for people whose existing conditions present unique dental challenges.
What kind of preventative dental care does my child need?
All children need to have their teeth brushed and flossed regularly. Bring your child to the dentist for dental care every six months, or as often as the dentist recommends.
What can I do to make my child’s dental appointment a positive experience?
Make your child’s appointment for a time of day when they are not usually too tired or hungry. If you’re worried your child will be anxious about seeing the dentist, talk to the dentist in advance to work out strategies to help your child.
Is it important to bring my child to a pediatric dentist for their special needs dentistry?
Special needs dentists are specially trained to help kids see the dentist safely. If you have a special needs child, bring them to us for special needs dental care in Jacksonville and St. Johns, FL. To get started, make your child a dental appointment, call today.
