Eating for two

A Beginner's Guide to Dental Health for Your Visually Impaired Baby

18 December 2019

Louis Stone

All new parents must learn new skills and navigate their way through many first experiences—parenting is a challenge for all. For the parents of a visually impaired (VI) baby, the challenges are far greater. You'll have the anxiety-inducing job of teaching your VI child to do everything that a sighted child does, only without the benefit of full sight.

If you're here reading this, then you're probably ready to tackle the job of managing your baby's dental health. Read on to find out where you should begin. 

Start Brushing as Soon as Teeth Arrive

You should begin brushing your child's teeth as soon as they arrive. Seat your child on your lap and lie them back so that their head is nestled into your arm. Using an extra soft toothbrush, gently brush your child's teeth. Talking or singing to your child as you brush will make the experience fun. You should brush from the gum up and make sure you cover all surfaces of the teeth.

Depending on how much sight your child has, choosing a brightly coloured toothbrush can make the toothbrush feel like a play item. A nice, colourful brush will also make your baby's toothbrush easily identifiable to them. Carry them into the bathroom and let them point to their toothbrush. Making brushing fun will help them to adhere to a good oral hygiene routine.

Take Your Baby With You to Your Check-Ups

Take your baby with you to your check-ups from the beginning. This will allow them to acclimatise to the dental office. They will become desensitised to the strange sounds, smells and shapes they'll encounter when they have to visit for their appointments. Ideally, take somebody with you who can talk to your baby and explain what noses are. It's important to be mindful of your tone while you're in the dental office. If you're nervous dentists, your tone could convey this. Be careful about what you say and how you say it.

Find the Right Dentist for Your Child

If you're happy with your dental practice and your dentist has experience with paediatric dentistry, you can register your baby there. Otherwise, make visits to local paediatric dental offices with your baby to check them out. Ask questions and look at online reviews. Ideally, you'll want someone with experience of treating visually impaired children. But ultimately, you're looking for a dentist who will give your child the time that they need. Patience and a warm manner will put your child at ease and make them more likely to follow their dentist's guidance in the future.

Start looking now. Ideally, your baby's first check-up will take place when their first teeth arrive.

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