At Shirck Orthodontics, we pride ourselves on being able to help every single child who comes through our doors. As you can imagine, some require more special care than others, but it’s a challenge that we’re always ready to meet. How does your Columbus orthodontist provide truly special treatment? The list below will tell you!
1. Special Care for Special Needs
Many of our patients are children with physical and mental special needs that make going to the dentist a little more difficult. The sights and sounds of the office may scare them, many have issues with strangers, and having their mouth worked on can bring on anxiety as well. That’s why Dr. Jeff and Dr. Jen go out of their way to work with parents and special needs children to ensure that their visits are always comfortable, whether that involves going a bit slower, taking regular breaks, or providing some type of fun distraction.
Dr. Jeff believes that this kind of dental care is in very short supply and that more doctors should be accommodating for these kinds of patients. Fortunately, his efforts haven’t gone completely unnoticed, as he was recognized by the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio for his work with patients with special needs.
2. Mindful of Sensory Issues
Children with and without special needs often have sensory issues that make going to the dentist very uncomfortable, whether their mouth is extremely sensitive or they have problems with bright lights and sounds.
At Shirck Orthodontics, these needs never fall by the wayside. We have special rooms with lowlighting, can provide sunglasses if needed, headphones with soothing music, and our doctors and staff only use the lightest touch so that no one, despite their sensitivities, ever has to feel uncomfortable in our office.
3. Putty-Free Impressions
Absolutely no one, whether they have special needs or not, enjoys having a dental impression taken with putty! This goopy and odd-tasting material was essential for a long time to create accurate models of the teeth, but now, we’re happy to use digital options. All we have to do is gently scan the teeth with a small instrument that fits easily in the mouth, and in just a few minutes, we have a highly-detailed impression. It’s quicker, simpler, and it’s just another way we ensure that all of our patients have an enjoyable visit.
4. Retainer Insurance
Retainers are an essential part of many orthodontic treatments, but for some patients, keeping up with them can be quite difficult. That’s why we’re happy to offer retainer insurance for patients who lose or simply grind through them. Mistakes happen, and we’re ready to help make things easier however we can.
If you have a child with special needs, sensory issues, or they just require a little more TLC than most, then we’re ready to be their orthodontist in Columbus. We’re able to provide all the little extra things our patients need to have a pleasant experience and achieve a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime.
If your special child is in need of orthodontic care, we would love to meet them, so contact us today to schedule your FREE consultation.