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Dental appointments

kuiperkaren

My son is due to have a couple of fillings today.  He is 16 and was diagnosed in 2008 as High Functioning Autistic.  He has had several warnings about the appointment today yet has walked out of the front door saying he already had arrangements.  Should I leave him in future to make his own appointments?

  • I have not been to the dentist for two years. Too intrusive, invasive and painful for my liking. My support worker keeps on saying I should go, but at the moment I have to choose my anxiety battles

     

  • My son does have difficulty with appointments generally - he cannot always see the need to keep to an appointment time whether it is doctor, dentist or barber!  On this particular occasion he "had other arrangements" which I later learned was something to sort out with his guitar.  He now has a couple of fillings outstanding and for which a new appointment needs to be made.  He cannot understand the importance of this since, in the past, people managed without dental checkups etc.  Our current dentist is marvellous - very patient and straight talking and in the 6 years we have known him now can have a sort of conversation with my son ie my son will now answer general questions.  Frustration was the main problem on the day since I thought I had prepared my son and given him enough notice.  I had no idea where he was that day or when he would be back. 

  • Hello Kuiperkaren and welcome to the community.

    This sounds like a difficult situation which I'm sure many of our members have experiences with that they could share and which may help you.

    Could you say a little more about what you feel the difficulty your son is having is?  Does he find appointments in general difficult or is this a specific difficulty with the dentist?  Has he raised any issues about being anxious about going to the dentist or had difficulties with the dentist in the past?