Parents of an autistic child have additional concerns when that youngster needs health care, since kids on the autism spectrum tend to have difficulty with social skills and may not like being touched. Yet these youngsters experience the same issues that other children and teenagers do, including a common need to have wisdom teeth extracted by an Oral Surgeon in Cranford NJ.
Most young adults are anxious at the prospect of oral surgery to remove impacted wisdom teeth, but an autistic young adult is likely to have anxiety above and beyond the norm. An Oral Surgeon in Cranford NJ often recommends some form of sedation for any patients needing this procedure, and that may be particularly advisable for patients on the spectrum. Their parents by now have learned how well their child handles dental appointments, and probably have some idea of how well the young person will manage this more extensive procedure.
Oral surgeons with a clinic such as Westfield Oral Surgery often provide general anesthesia with an intravenous solution before wisdom teeth extraction. The patient is asleep for a relatively short time. Prescription pain medication is provided for home use afterward, and this also has to sedate properties. Parents of autistic young adults may want to learn how these individuals tend to handle sedative medicine, although of course, everyone is different. The person’s doctor will be an excellent source of information. Autistic individuals generally do not comprehend metaphors, and ambiguous information, as well as people, might expect. They tend to take things very literally, so the parents and dental professionals both should be honest about what the procedure entails. An explanation that tries to skirt the important details is likely to make the patient feel a bit betrayed afterward.
It’s essential for the parents to be straightforward with these dental professionals before the appointment. The surgeon will want to know potential behavior difficulties that have previously occurred during dental appointments and how the parents manage these issues. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 68 individuals places somewhere on the autism spectrum, so most health care practitioners already have some of these patients on the roster.
