S
successstory7
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2021
- Messages
- 1
- Location
- Georgia
Hello! I (22 M) just had to share my girlfriend’s (21 F) experience from last week. For context, my girlfriend has autism. Loud sounds are so scary for her, so high pitched noises like drills scare her to death. After weeks of dealing with a toothache, I finally convinced her to go to a dentist. We found a dentist about two hours out that had good reviews for special needs patients... and it was absolutely worth the drive! My girlfriend was very, VERY cautious at first... (hiding behind me, lots of tears, hugging her comfort item) but within twenty minutes, she was laughing instead of crying! The dentists and hygienists adapted to her needs without making her feel like a child. They let us bring our own toothpaste from home for the cleaning, and were so gentle during finding the source of her pain that she hadn’t even noticed they’d assessed the tooth. She ended up having a cavity, which had her holding onto me again, but the dentist was so kind with her. I mentioned on the phone that my girlfriend loved to color to soothe her nerves, and they immediately provided us with a coloring book when my girlfriend began to tear again. They let her color for a good twenty minutes until she was back to being calm. Thankfully I brought my girlfriend’s soundproof headphones for the procedure, so no meltdowns or tears during it. Once we left, my girlfriend was pain-free (albeit very numb) and not nearly as afraid of the dentist. We will definitely be returning! For my autistic phobics, it doesn’t have to be scary or sensory induced hell! You just have to find the right dentist.
