I didn’t want to write an article on “dentistry” today. I wish I could hum spring songs when it’s such a nice weather outside. However, spring deceived me again and hid her beautiful face behind the clouds again. I have postponed my spring summer for now.
Today, I will tell you about our disabled children who unfortunately have to fight with many problems. Undoubtedly, taking care of a child is very difficult. When a problem such as being disabled is added to this situation, the difficulty can be much more.
Although it is an average time period for teeth to erupt, this process can change from time to time due to factors such as heredity, muscle activity and jaw growth. In children with disabilities, genetic factors that change this process much more also play a role. For this reason, the riding process in these children is very different.
As in healthy children, as soon as the teeth appear in the mouth, they should be cleaned with a damp gauze after feeding. From the age of 2, a toothbrush should be used. The mouth should be thoroughly cleaned once a day (at bedtime) and rinsed with mouthwashes at other times.
The following positions can be applied during tooth brushing in order to easily perform full oral care in disabled children.
• For children who can stand or sit, the person who will do the brushing while the child is standing or sitting should stand behind the child and do the brushing with a posture that supports the head.
• The person who will do the brushing sits on the sofa or sofa. He sits the child on the floor and puts his head between his legs. He tilts the child’s head back. While he supports the head with the help of one hand and legs, he does the brushing with the other hand.
• In children with muscle coordination disorder, the head is placed on the lap of one of the 2 persons and the legs are on the lap of the other. The person with the child’s head on their lap supports the child’s head with one hand while brushing with the other hand.
• In children who are very difficult to contain, the child should be placed on the boring lap and then brushing should be done.
Special toothbrushes for the use of disabled or small children can be obtained from abroad. In addition, a sponge to be inserted into the handle of the toothbrush will help the child to hold the brush easily.
The toothpaste to be used should be children’s toothpaste for healthy or disabled children.
Sometimes tooth brushing becomes impossible. In addition, there may be frequent sores on the corners of the mouth in children with disabilities. The risk of caries formation is also higher in these children due to bad breath and poor care.
After briefly talking about oral and dental health in disabled children, I will talk about alternative methods that can be used in case the care cannot be done with the methods I have described. Apart from this, I will talk about tooth decay prevention practices and the common bad breath and wound problem.
Although the most accurate method is to provide tooth brushing, this may not be possible sometimes. In these cases, it is possible to remove the residues in the mouth with a damp gauze cloth or cotton swabs. Again, mouthwashes containing carbonated water or chlorhexidine can be used to prevent the formation of dental plaque. Tooth cleaning wipes sold on the market can also be used for this purpose.
Another problem for these children is bad breath. The most important reason for this is that the oral care is not done well and the decayed teeth are not restored.
Due to irregularities in the development of teeth and jaws, frequent cracks and wounds on the edges of the mouth are also among the problems encountered. In some children, as a result of the problem in their general health, frequent mouth sores can be seen and these wounds can be painful. Please consult your dentist for pomades and mouthwashes that have a pain-reducing effect.
Dry mouth is a phenomenon that can be encountered from time to time in such patients. Decreased saliva secretion leads to tooth decay. Various methods can be used to increase this. ½ teaspoon of baking soda is mixed with a glass of water and the daily prepared mouthwash is used every 2 hours. Sugar-free gums can also be used for this purpose. Water and milk consumption of these individuals should be increased.
Attention to the nutrition of people with disabilities will also positively affect their oral and dental health. These measures are:
• Avoid sugary and acidic foods as much as possible.
• Gummy foods should not be given
• Water and milk consumption should be increased
• More attention should be paid to oral care in patients fed with pureed foods.
• No snacks should be given between meals.
It can be sorted.
When faced with the problem of dental caries, treatment from disabled patients can be quite difficult and sometimes quite expensive. However, protective methods are much simpler and more economical. One of the most commonly used methods to prevent tooth decay is fissur sealants, known as “tooth polishes”. fissure; It is the name given to the grooves on the surface of the teeth. Food residues accumulating here are the main factors of tooth decay. With the “Fissur sealent”, a special polish is applied to this area to prevent the accumulation of food residues.
All these precautions are undoubtedly valid for healthy individuals as well. Only children with disabilities need special attention.
We all have the right to laugh. I wish you a week full of smiles.
