Special Children are at Risk for Gum Disease, Too
Having a handicapped child gives parents an array of problems to deal with. Often, dental and gum health are overlooked as the more urgent matters of health and behavior are dealt with. The result is that the special child often has severe dental problems. It can be no easy matter to deal with them, either. Sometimes general anesthesia is needed to still the child enough for the dentist or hygienist to be able to word on the child’s teeth.
These challenged children often have muscles of the lip, tongue, and cheek that do not move normally. These muscles work through natural chewing to clean off the teeth and gums, but special kids often can’t even do this much. Children with cerebral palsy or defects of the spinal column are some of the special kids affected this way.
Another factor that increases the risk of poor gum health for these children is that they have to be on special diets. Often their food is pureed and/or fed to them through a bottle. This causes the food to stick to the teeth, particularly if the food is sugary. The child’s physical limitations increase the risk of them not getting enough water, too. Drinking plenty of water could help wash that food away.
Finally, many medicines can cause damage to the gums. Anti-seizure meds are in this category, and can cause swollen, bleeding gums. Other drugs reduce the flow of saliva, which is also harmful to the oral health. Many liquid medications are produced in syrup form containing sugar, which of course leads to tooth decay.
Good oral health can help these kids learn to eat and talk. The best way to prevent problems is to start early. Sometimes a dentist will want to meet with the parents of a special child soon after birth, and yearly as the teeth begin to appear.
Diet plays a role in dental and gum health, too. It would be best to get these special kids started off on a non-sugary diet and keep it that way. Watch out for sugar hidden in processed foods, as well as eliminating sweet, sticky foods and snacks. Many sticky sweet foods are natural, like raisins and honey, so watch out about these, too. If sweet foods are served along with the other foods of a meal, they will do less harm.
Finally, by starting young, many parents can train these kids to tolerate having their teeth and gums brushed. Use a very soft brush, and angle it in toward the gum line. A natural essential oil gum treatment doesn’t require the rinsing that over the counter toothpaste does, and would make a great choice for that young ‘un.
Special kids require patience and love at all times. While you will need to be firm, don’t forget they need your love more than anything.