Dr. Xu Wen'an gave lectures on oral health knowledge to parents and children.
"The child always complains about toothache, but when he goes to the hospital, he refuses to open his mouth and cooperate with the dentist for examination." This is the trouble encountered by the mother of autistic Xuanxuan.
For ordinary people, dental treatment is just an ordinary medical visit, but for autistic families, it is a very troublesome matter. Xuanxuan is in the tooth replacement period and suffers from severe dental caries. However, due to the special characteristics of autism, the child is unable to cooperate or even resist oral examinations, and many dental visits have failed.
html On June 23, she took her child to the Pediatric Dentistry Department of Shenzhen Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University (Pingshan). The child successfully received children's comfort treatment and was successfully discharged from the hospital on June 25. Nandu reporters learned that the Shenzhen Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University (Pingshan) has solved oral disease problems for nearly a hundred special children, and opened a green channel for special groups such as autism and cerebral palsy.Why is it difficult for children with autism to have dental care?
Coordinating oral examination and treatment is difficult.
Autism is the abbreviation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with autism are also called "children of the stars". They are a special group of people that are different from normal social children. Although they cannot look directly into your eyes, they long for attention. Although they cannot express themselves correctly, they also hope that others can communicate with them.
"Children with autism cannot describe symptoms and feelings, and it is difficult to take dental X-rays and other auxiliary examinations," said Dr. Xu Wen'an, head of the pediatric dentistry department of Shenzhen Stomatological Hospital (Pingshan), Southern Medical University, although the incidence of dental caries in autistic children The rate is not significantly higher than that of ordinary children, but due to the particularity of the disease, once suffering from dental caries, gingivitis and other diseases, timely and effective diagnosis and treatment are often not available.
Xuanxuan’s mother has such troubles. Xuanxuan is 7 years old this year, her teeth are very black, and she often complains of toothache. Because the child is autistic, she has to fall off the dental chair as soon as she sits on it, so she hasn’t seen her teeth for several years. I learned from Shenzhen Autism Research Association that the Shenzhen Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University (Pingshan) has a public welfare activity and can provide children with free dental check-ups, so I brought my children here for dental check-ups.
"I heard someone say before that my child would have to change his teeth anyway, so I thought about whether he could survive without treatment. But after hearing the introduction from the doctors here, I made up my mind to cure my child." Xuanxuan's mother said that through the doctor's popular science, she learned about her child's oral cavity. If the environment is not good, even if the teeth are replaced, the permanent teeth will be unhealthy. So on June 23, the child was admitted to the hospital. Through comfortable treatment and under general anesthesia, the child underwent caries filling and restoration, pulp treatment, and pre-crown restoration. Several teeth that had no therapeutic value were also repaired. The deciduous teeth were extracted, and the remaining teeth were sealed and fluoride applied.
Xuanxuan’s teeth looked brand new and she was discharged from the hospital successfully on June 25. Xuanxuan’s mother feels that for autistic children, comfort treatment can help the children have no psychological fear and have their teeth taken care of smoothly.
Autistic children listened carefully to the lecture on oral health knowledge
At 9 a.m. on June 25, in the hospital conference room, more than a dozen parents and children listened to " "Stars for Healthy Teeth" Oral Health Knowledge Lecture.
"Although children will not respond much, once they become familiar with it, they will slowly let go of their nervousness and anxiety." Dr. Xu Wen'an patiently explained knowledge about children's dental protection, how to brush teeth correctly, etc. Parents and children listened attentively , and also became more aware of the importance of oral health.
Dr. Xu Wen'an said that the incidence of dental caries among 5-year-old children nationwide is 70%. Behind such a high incidence rate, parents and children need to know more about oral health. Giving children oral health education before going to the dentist is an attempt by Shenzhen Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University (Pingshan). In the future, they hope to target children and adults of different ages in the hospital before going to the dentist. Promote oral health knowledge.
Oral comfort treatment for children and say goodbye to dental phobia
From the initial resistance to the dental chair to actively lying on the dental chair and opening their mouths for examination, this seemingly small step means that they will be able to behave like ordinary people in the future. Children go to the doctor the same way, and gradually say goodbye to "dental phobia".
"Children may come crying, but they will go back smiling," Dr. Xu Wen'an said. In the past, complex dental caries treatment required multiple sessions, but it was difficult for children with special needs to cooperate multiple times over a long period of time to complete the treatment, which deepened the child's fear of dental visits. The Department of Pediatric Dentistry is equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment, and regularly carries out special technologies such as comprehensive management of childhood caries, comfort treatment of children's oral cavity, and management of children's occlusal development, which can solve complex oral treatment problems in one go.
According to reports, the hospital has opened a green channel for special groups of people to seek treatment. The hospital cooperates with the Shenzhen Autism Research Association, Pingshan District Special Education School and other institutions to regularly carry out the "Star Teeth Health" experience charity event every year, and has provided comfort treatment services to nearly a hundred special children.
Popular science reminder
Avoid three misunderstandings to prevent oral problems
"Some parents have misunderstandings. For example, they think that deciduous teeth need to be replaced anyway, so they can ignore it for now," Dr. Xu Wen'an said. Children's oral diseases are easily ignored, and they not only affect children's chewing, Pronunciation may also affect maxillofacial development and even cause systemic growth and development retardation. Preventive and intervention measures should be actively taken. The second misunderstanding is the misunderstanding of "sugar". Dr. Xu Wen'an said that many people think that candies are sugar. In fact, yogurt, formula milk powder, and some milk drinks contain sugar, and eating too much will affect teeth.
In addition, people often have misunderstandings about brushing their teeth. Dr. Xu Wen'an said that in fact, no matter how clean the toothbrush is, it can only clean 50%-60% of the teeth. Most people even only clean 30%. Brushing teeth cannot prevent all oral problems, so adults People have their teeth cleaned and cleaned regularly, and children take measures such as pit and fissure sealing and fluoride application to prevent oral problems.
Written by: Nandu reporter Li Rong
