Slipper Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I'm looking for any/all suggestions to help with my oldest daughter's dental health. She has autism and is non-verbal. She's considered severely impaired and cannot understand spoken direction. If she is shown what to do, she is typically compliant as much as she can. She breathes through her mouth and has a horrible overbite. Our dentist had suggested an ortho and we located one who would work with us. She had her first cavity this past visit and our dentist was concerned that her mouth breathing had started causing problems in her oral health. Currently, we floss twice a day and brush twice a day with baby toothpaste. (She doesn't know how to spit so we can't use fluoride). After brushing, we use gauze to sponge on a child's fluoride rinse. Because her gums are so inflamed (from her mouth being open), we use a dry mouth product (biotene gel) at night (and occasionally during the day) rubbed on her front teeth and gums. We are going to try placing four brackets on her front teeth later this summer. We aren't sure how she will do with braces, but if they go well, we will try placing more. Apparently some teeth are descending through the top of her mouth and we're trying to guide them where they should be. She just had three baby teeth pulled to make room and we'll be removing her tonsils/adenoids in another month to help with mouth breathing. She has other personal care needs for skin problems, recurring eye infections, etc. I'm trying to make her daily "spa" time :) a little easier on me. Would a waterpik make things easier? I have a lot of trouble getting her mouth open enough to get to her back teeth. She doesn't fight, but she doesn't seem to be able to open it that much. So, waterpik? How does it work? (Since she can't spit) Is it worth it? I'd love to get something to suction water from her mouth so I wouldn't have to towel off her teeth as I go along but I'm not sure they sell something like that for home use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis and Miss Kitty Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I have a nonverbal, wheelchair bound son that had braces beginning at age 15. He, for the most part, was very compliant with the care of his teeth while he was wearing the braces (he wore them for about 30 months). He is not able to spit, so taking care of his oral needs is a bit of work. I did buy a water pic for him. Since he was not able to spit, I would have him lean over the sink, turn the water pic on the lowest pressure and go around the braces and teeth as much as he would tolerate (I put ACT rinse in the water). In the beginning, we made a mess. After a couple of weeks of practice, we got better at it. I wouldn't say the water pic made things easier, but it did it's job. When the braces came off, his teeth were beautiful and he is able to chew better. I found that the biggest problem with the braces on a disabled child was getting him to open his mouth the right amount so that I could get the rubber bands on and off his teeth correctly. I hope things work well for your dd and you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Thank you for sharing your experience with it. :) All the best to you and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 As for brushing the back teeth, don't try to get her to open enough for you to see what you are doing. Do it by feel. You don't look at your own back teeth when brushing them, and don't need to see hers. It will be easier to do if her mouth is mostly closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 That's true. I hadn't thought about it in that way. I'll try that out. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 A waterpik is VERY helpful for braces as it helps dislodge and rinse food off and from under the brackets and wires. Your DD wouldn't need to spit if she can lean over the sink, you just let the water run out. Yes, it makes a mess the first few times so have towels handy. You would want to be careful with the pressure setting as it can hurt the tender gum tissue if set too high. Most folks start off with a very low setting and slowly work up the pressure once their gums are used to it. For your DD, I would just stick with a lower setting. Oh, also be sure to load it with warm water and run it into the sink until you feel the warm water coming out. So much nicer than having cold water spraying on your teeth! I find the waterpik much less useful for braceless teeth. It doesn't seem to be able to accomplish more than just regular brushing and flossing does. With the braces, I could brush, floss, rinse, and STILL get food particles when I used the waterpik. Bleck! Do you use an electric toothbrush? It is much easier to get those back teeth clean with one. For your DD, I'd be sure to get one that automatically stops spinning if you are applying too much pressure. My dental hygeinist insists that she can almost always tell if someone uses an electric toothbrush because their teeth are much cleaner. Honestly, it sounds like you are doing an awesome job with your DD if she just now got her first cavity. Obviously, I know that you would like to prevent them all, but that sounds like quite an achievement to me considering the challenges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 My dd's orthodontist gave us a product to try called an Air Floss. It can be used with water, pretty much like a water pik, but can also be used without the liquid and will shoot a little jet of air to "floss" between teeth. Dd had so much hardware in her mouth that she was unable to floss very effectively with conventional floss thread. Her gums were starting to grow up over her braces and we had to do something. the Air Floss was a great success! One of the major benefits of it is that it does not require any type of cable, cord, or tube to be attached to a base (Air Floss:Water Pik as cordless phone: corded phone). The liquid reservoir in the AF handle doesn't hold a whole lot, but seems to be adequate. However, it really does jet out strongly, so I would recommend trying it on yourself prior to using it on a child, especially one who could not tell you if it hurt. Once we started using the AF, we had no more troubles with gum growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Some of these are pretty expensive, but it looks like you can get a portable home suction machine if you have some extra funds available... http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=portable+suction+machine&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7967019709&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15806648241469102169&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_9dfc8842vg_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Pegasus, thanks for the kind words. :) I've worked really hard (and closely with her dentist). We don't use an electric toothbrush with her. We have tried and she keeps biting down on it. I'm not sure if it's her mouth sensitivity (due to her autism) or whether time will gradually help her adjust. I'm hoping the waterpik will look like fun and encourage my other girls to be better at brushing/flossing. (One dd has no cavities, my other has had a few but has a medical condition that will increase cavities). I'll keep in mind to watch her gums when I start out. Hillfarm, I just looked into airfloss. I do like it, but I'm worried that it might be too strong for dd right now. I'll take another look before I order anything so thanks for the suggestion. black_midori - Thanks! I wasn't sure what the things were called so couldn't even google. They are pricey but if it looks like I need one, my in-laws would probably help out. We have the only grand-kids and they are VERY kind to us and try to help when they see a need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I suggest that you give it a try. I personally hate flossing, but love the Water-Pik (and cheaper versions). If it doesn't work for this dd, someone else in your family may love it. The sensation of the water can be almost needle-like when gums aren't used to it so be aware of that. Hopefully within a few days, she would be used to it. You are already used to struggling with flossing her teeth and I think this will turn out to be much simpler. You might want to use it yourself to get used to the idea of where to aim it, etc. Spitting abilities aren't needed; you can just lean over the sink and let the water run into it. I've had a couple of kinds and prefer the battery-operated ones like this: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-EW-DJ10-A-Oral-Irrigator/dp/B0027LSEPS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1339691572&sr=8-5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Okay, I have a few more questions if anyone has a moment. :) Do I need to buy separate tips for each of my kids? Can I use this to brush and floss at the same time? If she bites down on these tips, will they break or bend? Is the hose long enough or can you get a longer one? How do you add stuff to the water? Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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