What is Special Needs Dentistry?

Balancing the requirements of a child with special needs can be very challenging for parents. Pressing medical issues often take focus, and dental care can take a back seat.

e problem is that children with disabilities or special needs are more likely to develop dental problems compared to children without. You must pay particular attention to your child's dental health care. Below are some tips on how you can approach it.

Special Needs in Dentistry

e Academy of Pediatric Dentistry de nes special needs children as those with chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. ey usually have limitations on daily activities and require more extensive dental and medical services. Cleft lip or palate, Down syndrome, neurological disorders, cerebral palsy, and vision, and hearing impairments are common medical conditions requiring special dental care, as well as learning and developmental disabilities.

Oral Conditions

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Down syndrome and other genetic disorders can cause delays in tooth eruption, sometimes up to two years. ese children may also develop malformed or extra teeth that erupt or even have congenitally missing teeth. Crowding and poor alignment, in general, can leave children prone to gum disease