If your child has developmental delays or other special needs, Dr. Khoury and her team are well trained and experienced for treating your child appropriately.

Many children, but especially those with special needs, experience a great deal of anxiety when visiting the dental office. Feelings of anxiety may be caused by a number of factors including a fear of the unknown, difficulties communicating one’s feelings, and reactions to sensory sensitivities. When children are unable to effectively communicate their feelings of anxiety, they may demonstrate noncompliant or uncooperative behavior. There are a number of behavioral and environmental techniques that may help alleviate anxiety and increase cooperation.

Some suggestions include, ensuring that Dr. Khoury and the team at The Brush Stop, have a thorough medical history, barring no information. Your child’s health and safety is our primary concern. We will need to have a clear and present picture of your child’s health prior to their visit in order to establish a relationship with you, the child, as well as physicians or therapists that may be involved in your child’s treatment.

We recommend scheduling patients at a time of day that will be the best for your child. For example, children with cystic fibrosis tend to fair better in the afternoon due to heavy accumulation in the lungs in the morning. whereas a child with Autism who may do better in the morning.

Desensitization techniques and a gradual approach to learning to tolerate dental procedures may be necessary to assist those with sensory concerns. This will involve a series of short visits to the dental practitioner. Each visit should involve practicing a specific behavior and should end on a positive note. For example, a first visit may simply involve walking into the dental practitioner’s office. Other initial steps might include the following:

• Walking into the exam room
• Sitting in the exam chair for 5 seconds
• Sitting in the exam chair for 30 seconds
• Sitting in the exam chair for 1 minute
• Sitting in the exam chair for 5 minutes
• Sitting in the exam chair for 10 minutes, etc.

At The Brush Stop, we make every effort to ensure that your child has a pleasant experience. Be sure to discuss your concerns with the doctor prior to your child’s visit, because planning, as a team will undoubtedly give the best result.