Dentist for Autistic Child
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Dentist for Autistic Child
May 2012
Our son is 4 1/2 and on the Autism Spectrum. He has never been to the
dentist and has poor oral hygiene. I would really like to get him a
check up and a cleaning sooner rather than later. He is going to have
to be sedated for this, because just brushing his teeth is a two
person job. Any recommendations for a good, kid friendly, special
needs friendly, sedation dentist near Albany or the surrounding area?
Thanks!
Amy
Denise Bass Allen
is an experienced pediatric dentist who is able to get the
most severe special needs children through the dental experience with flying
colors. Her staff is also experienced and knowledgeable and knows how to support
you and your child. If sedation is needed, she will do it, but it's amazing what
they are able to accomplish without sedation. I worked at a group home where all
our children saw Ms. Allen and even some of the young men with severe emotional
disturbances were able to get through the dentist without sedation- young men
weighing 200 lbs. She also takes Medi-Cal, which makes her one of the few local
pediatric dentists outside of Alameda County dental services that does. She's in
downtown Oakland on Broadway.
Rachel
My son developed severe dental anxiety after a bad experience with
another dentist. After several years of working intensively (lots of appointments taking ''baby
steps'') with Dr. Bob Khalil
at Aloha Dental (who is amazing, btw), we ended up
having to do full sedation to get some work done. Dr. Khalil recommended
Alameda Pediatric Dentistry. They were great with my
son and the whole experience went as smoothly as possible. It definitely was
not inexpensive though. The anesthesia alone cost around $1,000 and was not
covered by our Delta Dental insurance. Anon
May 2010
I am looking fora dentist for my 3 1/2 years old, he is
autistic and has lot of behavioural issues. we need to see a
dentist,because he doesn't allow to brush him. now it has
become a necessity to see a dentist immediately. any
recomendation or suggestions.
lots of thanks
Dr. Bob Khalil at Aloha Kids (in Orinda and Berkeley) is
excellent with my 4 year old with ASD. They have a ''quiet
hour'' once a day for special needs kiddos (though sometimes
the wait is long for one of those appointments). We've been
really happy with the Dr. Bob and the whole office.
Best,
Heather
there is a wonderful dentist in Fremont named
Dr. Mamta Shah, DDS. she works
with children and adults and has an extremely calm and gentle manner. she
sees many autistic patients and sometimes uses light, flexible wire appliances
that gently release the high narrow plate and dental crowding that often occurs
in autism spectrum kids. i refer many of my patients to her and even take my
own children. i think she is worth the drive!
berkeley doc
April 2009
Hi Everyone,
I am looking for an orthodontist that uses anesthesia for my autistic
son who is very dentist phobic. I am not expecting perfection just
straight enough will do. He is a very handsome young man and I can't
help feeling his appearance will help his future.
Does anyone know an orthodontist with a lot of patience or maybe an
autistic kid of his own? I am willing to travel (we live in
Oakland). Thanks for you help.
Autism Mom
Greetings! I would HIGHLY recommend calling the BLENDE DENTAL GROUP in SF. Their
phone number is: 800-575-3375. They specialize in dentistry for the dental phobic
and have every type of anesthesia available for their patients. While they are not
orthodontists, there is a Harvard trained orthodontist, who is excellent, in the
same building, Dr. Bella Shen-Garnett 415-292-2345, that they often work with.
They will also be a great dental resource for you with your son's special needs.
The office staff is very kind and gives everyone the special care they require.
Nov 2008
Can anyone recommend a dentist for my 2.5 year old son who has
autism? No dental insurance, so I'm not looking for a specific
provider -- just someone who is skilled with young children with
special needs. It looks like my kid has some issues with his
bite, so we may need someone skilled with pediatric orthedontia
as well.
Prefer Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Orinda but will travel for
right situation.
Dreading the appointment
Hi, we have a dev. disabled 9 yr. old with multiple social and
behavioral diagnosis and first saw Dr. Meeta Doshi (very calm and
sensitive but is not exclusively a pediatric-dentist). We just
switched (at Dr. Doshi's recomm.) to
Dr. Vivian Lopez (510)
848-4430, in Berkeley. She and her staff have been extremely
patient, experienced and adept at getting x-rays, cleanings and
exams completed.
Not sure about orthodontics, we're currently seeing Dr. Brad Irving
and will probably need to find someone else who uses sedation for
future work when my son is around 11. So, I'm curious to hear who
else is out there too!
*need similar answers*
I recommend Dr. Katsura in Orinda. My son is on the autistic
spectrum, and we received the recommendation from Dr. Katsura on
the BPN. He actually has an appointment time reserved for patients
that need more time, etc, and I believe there is only one patient
in the office at that time, which is nice. On our first visit, we
didn't go during this special time, and it was not fun, but on the
second visit, we did, and it worked out great. They also gave us a
little dentist kit that we used to practice with, so by the time
the second appointment came along, my son felt more comfortable
with someone checking his teeth, etc. Good luck!
dreaded the dentist too, but not anymore
You should contact
Dr. Ed Matsuishi in El Cerrito. I don't know if
he has any specific experience with autistic children, but he is a
FANTASTIC pediatric dentist. He, his staff, and his office are so
well-suited to children who are or may be fearful/difficult in a
dentist's office (like my son, who has needed EXTENSIVE work on his
teeth). The waiting room has a great train table, and while the
children are in the exam chairs, they can watch TV and listen to it
on head phones.
Liz O.
RE: dentist for autistic child- call the California Foundation of
Dentistry for the Handicapped CFDH (sorry, their name, maybe
they're working on that. . . ) 1800 872 6176. They're in Sacto, and
have listings of local DDS that serve people w/ disabilities. The
person I've contacted in the past is Linda Herrera. Good luck.
anon
July 2008
It's time to finally take our 4 year old son to the dentist for
the first time. He is on the mild end of the autism spectrum, so
we're interested in finding a dentist with some experience with
children who have special needs and sensory challenges.
Any suggestions or positive dentistry experiences for quirky
kids?
Christa
My son has autism and we see Dr. Khalil
(''Dr. Bob'') at the
Pediatric Dentistry office in North Berkeley off Solano (510
528-1546). They have an hour every week or so that they set aside
for the special needs kids. Usually they have one room full of
kids, but in this hour the kid gets the room to him/herself. They
also have a hygienist there who has an adult son on the spectrum
and she totally ''gets'' it, if you know what I'm sayin'. I'm not
entirely sure about Dr. Bob's ASD experience, other than with my
son, but I've liked him very much and my son has always had a great
experience there.
Jill
Neil Katsura
successfully treated 2 of my children and my niece
after tooth accidents when they were under 2. My daughter, who
definitely qualifies as a quirky kid, although not for the autism
spectrum, thought he was great, and was very cooperative with him.
My children have seen all of his partners throughout the years as
well, and never a complaint. The practice seems to know how to cope
even with scary procedures like drilling.
(http://www.alohakidsdds.com/ ; they have 3 offices, but you can
reach any of them from 848-6494).
Mother of 3
I know this challenge sooooo well and I'm very happy to pass along
this excellent resource to you. My 11 yr old autistic son was
absolutely terrified of dentists and doctors and we had several
nightmarish experiences trying to get his teeth checked/cleaned.
Each visit ended with a complete meltdown and no work done. I
finally lucked into finding the
Blende Dental Group in San
Francisco. They are a special needs practice with wonderful staff
who really get autism. They are sensitive and caring, paying
attention to every detail of my son's needs and I'm thrilled that
he's finally able to get great dental care. Its worth the drive
into the city. They're located at 390 Laurel Street, Suite 310, SF,
94118 (near Laurel Village Shopping Center). Phone is (415)
563-4261. There's alot of helpful information at their website too.
www.drblende.com Hope this helps.
Meg
My friend with a 9 yr old son on the autism spectrum has
previously waxed poetic about his son's dentist in San
Francisco. This dentist has a special understanding of the
needs and concerns of kids on the spectrum. Here is what my
friend says:
''It's Dr David Rothman and he's on both Ocean and Union St.
(in San Francisco) 415-333-6811. And he's terrific.''
signed - a friend of kids on the spectrum, and their parents
this page was last updated: Sep 9, 2012
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