AUTISTIC NICK GOES TO THE DENTIST
Dentist’s strike fear into me.
Just the very thought of having to book an appointment fills me with dread.
No one actually gets excited by going do they.
The drilling, the lights, the having to keep your mouth open to the widest point *shudders* at the thought of it.
But yet here is where I found myself.
Picking up that phone *I hate, I repeat hate making phone calls* and making a series of appointments to see my dentist.
I wrote a blog post https://autisticnick.com/2021/09/14/autistic-nick-makes-a-phone-call/ breaking it down into a workable guide for those who struggle with making a phone call.
THE NEGATTIVES
The noise of the drilling.
The having to keep your mouth open for all that time,
The scrapping of the various tools.
The suction and water thing.
They put a bib on me, but my neck still got wet from the suction thing the assistant was using.
The length of time sitting still in the dental chair, being at the mercy of the dentist.
They used a new tool (I don’t know the name) but I can vividly recall the sound it made as it made contact with my teeth. Think of a wailing banshee shrieking and that’s the sound the tool made.
At one point the wailing banshee was singing her tune and I literally raised my feet up and then banged them down on the chair. At that point the dentist did stop and allow me to deal with what I was going through.
THE POSITIVES
My dentist was made aware that I am Autistic and that I may not react well to coming into a dental environment.
I explained and he allowed me to what would be a trigger for me and what the best solution would be if I get become overwhelmed.
I am given breaks; we break down the session into bit size chunks.
So, we may start and then after say 10 minutes I can take a short break before work recommences.
He constantly asks me if I am ok.
I have a support worker on standby in the reception area and if I yell out her name then she can come into the dental room to clam me down or do whatever it is that is necessary to make sure that I am ok and relaxed.
He listened to my needs and works with me to ensure that I have a pleasant enough experience (it is the dentist after all) so that I am comfortable enough to come back to visit him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you are able to have a prior conversation with your dentist explaining what your needs are as an Autistic person entering a dental environment.
During that conversation ask if reasonable and adjustable needs can be made for your visit.
Take a support worker with you or a family member if you can for that extra support.
Look to see if they have a website and if they do see if you can see photos taken from inside the dental room so that you can at least have an idea of what the room will look life prior to your visit.
CARRY ON THE CONVERSATION
As always, I can also be found on Twitter:@AutisticNickAU and on the Official Autistic Nick Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/AutisticNickAU/
Thank you for reading and I will see you next time for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
Autistic Nick 