Caregiver Q & A

Three months ago Tyler had a seizure, fell and broke his front tooth. He has a history of seizures and a non-specified mood disorder. He has experienced tonic-clonic seizures since he was around 2 and they occur once every 4-6 week. They last around 1.5 minutes. He is taking medications to control these seizures.

He has a limited vocabulary and is able to follow some simple commands. His behavioral level is similar to that of a 2-3 year old although he understands most everything.

Generally, very little gets accomplished when Tyler is at the dentist because of his behavior. His last visit to the dentist was three years ago. He used to see a pediatric dentist but he often stops seeing patients when they turn 18 except for very specific circumstances. Since we have moved, we have been unable to find another dentist. We are very excited that you are willing to see Tyler.

He has become increasingly difficult to manage and can be aggressive.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to brush Tyler's teeth because he has grown bigger and stronger. Flossing has not been an option because he becomes defensive when anything is put his mouth. He will flap and swing his hands but will stop once he calms down.

Tyler is a night owl and doesn't adjust well to time changes such as Daylight Savings time. He is often up late at night and sleeps late in the morning. Also he has a morning routine of bathing and dressing that he must go through and cannot be varied or rushed. The best time for him to visit is around 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tyler loves electronic equipment such as IPads and cellular phones and likes to play games on them. That works sometimes as well as money.

Yes he had general anesthesia for dental treatment about 3 years ago. It was a challenge because they wanted us to come early in the morning and not feed him. He has been treated in that wrap in the pediatric dentist office when he was younger after they gave him medicine to make him sleepy. Back then I could lift him and put him it with some help. He has grown so much I cannot lift him and he won't lie down by himself. To be honest we haven't seen a dentist since his last hospital visit.

Tyler likes bubblegum flavor but not mint. I was told as long as it had fluoride any kind was fine.

In his new school here they have a baking class for the special ed kids. Tyler has really enjoyed baking and decorating cupcakes. You should see the beautiful cupcakes he makes and they taste great too! He loves anything to do with baking!

Absolutely, I am happy to do whatever it takes but I think you will probably need to give him some medicine to put him to sleep.