{"id":9,"date":"2024-11-04T19:58:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T19:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/?p=9"},"modified":"2024-12-09T20:01:40","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T20:01:40","slug":"helpful-hygiene-3-tips-for-kids-with-unique-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/helpful-hygiene-3-tips-for-kids-with-unique-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Helpful Hygiene: 3 Tips for Kids with Unique Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many parents and guardians struggle with helping their children with their at-home dental hygiene routine because plenty of kids avoid routine activities if they think of them as a chore. That said, there are some additional challenges for those raising children with special physical, emotional, behavioral, or intellectual needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your little one has sensory issues or struggles with fine motor skills, you may already have realized that brushing and flossing is particularly difficult for them. However, keeping their teeth and gums clean is essential to preventing decay and disease. With that in mind, keep reading to learn three tips to help them complete their routine successfully!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Helpful Hint #1: Be Consistent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your child resists following instructions, resists switching tasks, or doesn\u2019t communicate well, they may become angry or confused when it\u2019s time to brush their teeth. This may be partly because the task feels unfamiliar or strange. Thankfully, the more regularly you practice certain habits and behaviors, the more comfortable your child becomes with those patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your kid balks when it\u2019s time to clean their mouth, you can try setting an alarm to ensure that you start their routine at the same time every morning and evening. You can also set timers when brushing so they know when they\u2019ve met the full two minutes and can switch to flossing. This type of consistency may help them feel more secure during the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helpful Hint #2: Pick the Right Supplies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your child is sensitive to tastes and textures, it can help to find dental care products that won\u2019t trigger them. For instance, many kids avoid standard toothpaste’s strong, minty flavor or dislike how hard bristles feel against their teeth and gums. Choosing a child-friendly toothpaste flavor like bubblegum or berry and a soft-bristled brush that won\u2019t abrade their tender tissues makes brushing their teeth much more enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, if your little one struggles to hold the small handle of their toothbrush, you can find one with a thicker handle, or try placing the handle in a tennis ball so there\u2019s something bulkier for them to grasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helpful Hint #3: Be Creative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to think outside of the box when considering solutions to help your child clean their teeth and gums. The traditional methods may not work for your kid, so you might need to use your imagination. For example, if they don\u2019t like putting a toothbrush in their mouth, provide a clean cloth they can use to gently scrub their pearly whites instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also introduce helpful social stories, games, or songs to help them feel relaxed and happy during their daily dental hygiene routine. This can help overcome communication barriers, provide social and visual cues to help them understand the process, and turn what could be a chore into a fun learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re still unable to get your child to brush their teeth, contact your pediatric dentist. They are experienced in treating kids of all abilities and may know a few tricks you haven\u2019t tried yet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Beachside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, your family benefits from two specialists with 30+ years of combined experience. Dr. Robison and Dr. Millard are board-certified experts who provide a full array of services to help guide still-developing smiles. They combine a welcoming, playful environment with state-of-the-art equipment to enhance patient comfort while providing top-quality treatments. If you have a child with special needs, you can request an appointment on the website<\/a> or call (321) 773-8578.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many parents and guardians struggle with helping their children with their at-home dental hygiene routine because plenty of kids avoid routine activities if they think of them as a chore. That said, there are some additional challenges for those raising children with special physical, emotional, behavioral, or intellectual needs. If your little one has sensory […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions\/11"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beachsidesmilesfl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}