A couple of months ago I came across this website (via
Jenny I think) which produces toothbrushes specifically for people with oral defensiveness and special needs. After an exchange of emails I was sent a small sample which when it arrived on the mat, was mistaken for a DVD by Mr Boo, opened and destroyed. (chewed in half basically)
See, I am in the perhaps unique position of having one orally fixated and one orally defensive child. One has always had magnificently healthy if slightly chipped teeth; thanks to a diet of car wheels, computer keys, bottle caps, classmates, Special needs assistants and the occasional toothbrush.
He has always brushed several times a day, without issue.
And the other had to have 7 baby teeth removed under General Anaesthetic in hospital, thanks to decay. (She could have had fillings but as a public patient they would only do "emergency" extractions or it's a long wait)
A combination of poor diet (a fondness for sticky caramel and honeycomb type treats) and extreme oral defensiveness lead us to that position. And a mistaken belief that
Baby Teeth don't matter.
When I noticed it, I took action and requested a special needs dentist visit to the school.
Then I was made to feel like a combination of Myra Hindley and
Maxine Carr as the dentist managed to identify enough decay in Bratty's clenched jaws to make a referral to the dental hospital.
(The dentist's attitude softened when he met Mr Beautiful Teeth shortly after)
It was only the follow up visit of a dental health officer that allowed me to forgive myself. You see she explained how people in extreme circumstances will often let aspects of their health go. And living with 2 very autistic kids, one with undiagnosed ADD does count as an extreme circumstance.
This little girl got everything she wanted, when she wanted and when she did finally fall asleep each night, we wouldn't dare touch her.
Even when I did see the damage, taking control of her diet and oral health; I was up against it.
Extended family saw "no harm" in giving her crunchies and mini-mars and may holy war be declared on the inventor of the creme egg. Even in school it was hard to get them to stop using sweeties as rewards for tasks. The new school uses "Garden, Swing, Ball Pool, Computer and Tickles" to get Bratty to work. The old school was less imaginative.
But I stuck with it. The vision of my tiny little girl waking up in a hospital gown with a bleeding mouth after surgery was enough to push me on.
Getting a tooth brush into her mouth was Torture. I had to sit on her and literally hold her down last thing every night, regardless of whether it meant waking her up from possible sleep - and an ensuing 2 hour tantrum.
Dental check ups involved me in the chair (wearing leggings or stretch jeans) with my legs wrapped around Bratty, one arm holding her arms and one in what can only be described as a headlock.
The new dentist is a real darling; she gets in, checks and flouridates the remaining and emerging new teeth in jig time and thanks be to god; all are doing well.
You see, baby teeth do matter. They hurt when they decay and if you lose them, the next row of teeth will have no idea which direction to come in and you can end up with a whole mess of crookedness as a result. So You Have to Brush. As completely as you can, Every Day.
And that's where the
Collis Curve comes in. As you can see it has curved bristles which do both sides of the teeth at the same time. Cover it with toothpaste and get in and over all the teeth every night after the last snack or drink and you are halfway there. As the website says, it solves the problems of:
Anxiety over intrusion into the mouth
Small jaws and difficulty in opening the mouth
Special needs and disability care
Having to brush another person's teeth - QUICKLY!
If only I had heard of them 10 years ago.
xx
For more advice on oral defensiveness and what we did - stay tuned.
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