Dental care for patients with neurodiverse needs

Neurodiversity is something that many patients within our community have experience with, whether this is through their own lived experience, the experience of their siblings, parents or children, or their friends and colleagues. For many patients, coming to the dentist is a challenge, but even moreso when there are additional sensory triggers at play, which can heighten any patients anxiety about visiting the dentist.

At Dental on Cambridge, we understand that this can cause additional stress for parents, care givers and of course patients and that is why we look to partner with families and patients to learn about their individual needs, because you know those best! We pride ourselves on creating a welcoming and nurturing environment, and that’s why we try to go above and beyond to address any barriers to accessing dental treatment.

We are more than happy to take the time to prepare an initial 20-minute consultation if required to ‘meet and greet’ before your actual first appointment with us. At this consultation, it is an opportunity to come into the practice, get a feel for our environment, our team and of course meet the dentist who will be helping with your oral health journey. It’s also an opportunity for you to share with us your needs regarding any other items or requirements that might support a successful first appointment.

Some things that we have supported patients to access in the past are, the request of a particular TV show or meditation on our in-surgery devices, to bring in their own devices and headphones for use to watch their favourite show, listen to music or a meditation, wearing their own sunglasses rather than the ones supplied at the practice, ear plugs, bringing in any fidget toys or plushies, blankets or even slime to play with during their treatment!  We also have nitrous oxide available onsite which can be useful to assist in relaxation.

Our team on reception is happy to discuss and take note of any additional needs required to support a successful visit. There are also some things you can do at home before your first appointment such as:

·         Talk about what sensory stimuli might be present in the practice – bright lights, music, new people and smells. Take a look at our website where we have photos of our practice and team.

·         Practice at home. Pretend to be the dentist, go over needing to open wide, how they can communicate if they need a break e.g. place your hand up like asking a question. You can also practice if the patient feels comfortable asking questions, or if their support person will do that on their behalf.

·         Discuss what items or distractions might assist to cope with some of the sensory stimuli - common ones in a dental practice are bright lights and a variety of different noises, new people at the front desk and perhaps patients in the waiting room.

At Dental on Cambridge, Dr Alex, Dr Simone and our entire team strive to provide a positive experience for all patients, they are open to supporting all individuals with any specific needs to access good quality dental care. Each patient is unique, so we encourage you to think about what might be a barrier to accessing dental care, come up with ways that we can work together to help in a supportive environment – tell us – and we’ll happily become part of your healthcare team! Need a change of dental team? Give us a call to discuss your needs on 3348 6661.