Blog Layout

Autism & going to the dentist!

Welcome to our first ever blog! This will be the first of many! Today I am talking about going to the dentist as an autistic individual. Now many individuals whether adults or children dislike going to the dentist and for various reasons, but for autistic people this could be much worse!

I will point out to start with that, like with everything, each autistic person experiences the world differently, and just because one autistic person dislikes doing something, it doesn’t mean another will. So, with that out of the way, what is it like for autistic people when they visit the dreaded scary dentist?

Some will be absolutely petrified of going! The reasons for this will vary, and include but are not limited to:

Someone invading their personal space. Personal space varies for each person, but this could mean being within so many feet of them. They may not like anyone doing this for anything, let alone someone they don’t know very well!

Getting used to a new dentist or fearing they won’t have the same dentist. They may have had the same one for a while and may struggle with change. Their usual dentist may have got to know them a little and provided extra support for them. They may also not want to/not have the energy to explain their whole situation again i.e. being autistic and what needs they have.

Sensory issues. They may be very sensitive to certain noises. For example they could be fearful of/dislike the sound of dental equipment being used. The lights may be too bright depending on the room (this can be the case anywhere), and they may struggle with shining lights in their face.

The fact that there are usually two people there i.e. a dentist and a nurse. This could possibly lead to various problems, such as struggling with social pleasantries, not knowing when to speak, and presenting themselves in a ‘respectable’ manner.

Trying to mask how they feel about it all. Such as not wanting to come across as scared or being a problem for them.

Music playing in the background. They may not like that particular song or it could distract them in a bad way.

Being anxious about various tools going near and in their mouth. Will it hurt them, will they accidentally swallow anything, what is the reason for them using the tools, when will they use them, will they let them know in advance or not, is letting them know in advance better or worse?

They may have a very low pain threshold. They may feel embarrassed about this. They may not, but either way they will be in physical pain, and they may be unable to explain how they feel.

They may have a very high pain threshold. Some autistic people don’t know when they are in pain, which could affect them in the long term. They may become too comfortable and accidentally do something they shouldn’t due to being too relaxed.

Waiting. They may experience anxiety building up because they don’t enjoy the whole process, or waiting makes them anxious generally.

Social challenges walking into the dentist, This could include saying hello to the receptionist, do they look at other people sat waiting, do they talk to them, do they read a magazine, sit there doing nothing, make small talk, or go on their phone.

Worrying about the expense. They may think things like how much is this going to cost, if (like many autistic people) they are unemployed and receive benefits they may be embarrassed telling the receptionist (because most of us want to work but often aren’t supported to do so!), and by not knowing how much it could cost this could bring on anxiety in itself.

For me personally, this is my experience! Overall, it doesn’t cause me lots of stress compared to others, but there are still numerous challenges and obstacles to navigate. The first challenge is making sure I’m on time. This is a common problem for someone with ADHD. Knowing that with dentist appointments you can be a few minutes late, but much more than that could cause you to lose your timeslot which can bring on anxiety. On the opposite scale of it, it can also help you to be on time! Then there’s the worry of finding a parking space, will there be one?

Next up is walking in to the building. Luckily when I go it’s usually quiet, but I could imagine if it was a bigger building with more people this could cause more anxiety. This doesn’t bother me too much currently to be fair.

Then there’s the waiting. As described earlier with how other autistic individuals can experience this, I have struggled with this one in the past. It doesn’t bother me too much now, but it used to. I have mixed feelings about mobile phones, but this is definitely one area where I gain great benefit by owning one. I still get bored and impatient if I’ve been waiting long, but this hasn’t happened too much over the last several years. It used to happen every time I went though years ago. And that was when I didn’t have the internet on my phone, so I definitely struggled with all the social aspects mentioned before!

Then when I get called into the surgery I am in masking mode. I go from being sat waiting where time goes fairly slowly to the opposite where time is speeded up, and I’m always just a little too slow behind it! I’ve learned to not bring a jacket if I intend on taking it off, because I wouldn’t know where to put it and wouldn’t feel I was given the time to muck about trying.

Then I’m told to sit down in the chair, which I can never quite navigate properly. The next step is to pop on the sunglasses. No time for jokes or references on the sunglasses, and no time to get used to them being on my face. So I’m in the chair with the sunglasses on but I’ve got to slide up the chair because I’ve sat too far down it. Then I’ve got to shuffle back down because I’ve gone too far up. Are they laughing at me inside? Do they think I’m an idiot who can’t even sit in a chair properly? Have they even noticed anything at all? Oh by the way I’ve also not quite sat back enough, so I look a bit like I do when I hold a tiny baby – awkward. I’m not nervous or concerned about seeing the dentist; I’m just occasionally socially awkward and have Dyspraxia. AND it takes me longer than average to adjust to different surroundings/ones that I don’t frequent in that often.

Throughout the whole time there (which isn’t that long really!) I constantly want to fidget in the chair trying to get comfy. I feel rushed and like I’m taking their time up. I’m trying to take everything in and it all seems to be moving too fast for me. My movements are out of sync with what they want me to do. Generally the one’s I’ve had have been pleasant but you can tell they are busy and just want to get another customer ticked off.

I sometimes struggle with when the dentist and the nurse are talking to each other, as I’m not always sure if they are talking to me. Often I’ll say “sorry were you talking to me?” To be fair they often switch between talking to me and each other so it’s not easy to tell at times. I often wonder if I should be commenting, even when my mouth is full with dental tools.

Generally I don’t have too many problems when they start prodding around with their sharp tools, but I constantly try to look like it doesn’t bother me at all, even if it does. I feel slightly claustrophobic at times and often put my hand up just to have a minute to swallow. Suddenly I’m worried that I need to swallow every few seconds when I don’t normally. I don’t want to come across as being scared, I just want to swallow, so I’m conscious of this also.

My OCD intrusive thoughts like to pop in to say hello. Telling me that I’ll swallow the piece of equipment that they’re shoving down my throat (ok they’re only gently prodding around) and that they’ll scratch my teeth. I also have sudden urges to get up at inappropriate times to have a run around, like right at the exact times that I shouldn’t be doing. I’m also thinking if my breath smells or if my teeth are really bad. Thankfully I’ve washed them thoroughly, used mouth wash, flossed, and had chewing gum, but still you never know.

Then there’s the whole perfectionism thing. When you’re told you have perfect dental health for years, just one slip can make you mad at yourself. This brings me on to listening out for them reading numbers out. I’m hoping the good numbers come out. Let’s hear plenty of 0’s! No 1’s or 2’s for me please.

For a while now my routine has been lay still with hands locked across my chest, slow quiet breathing, eyes closed, make no fuss (apart from the occasional hand up to swallow). Might as well stick me in a coffin. But my breathing feels like its going a hundred miles an hour. Why? I don’t know really. Probably because I’m so trying to not look bothered (which in many ways I don’t) that I can actually then look a bit flustered. Although much of this is in my head because I’m also like a dead corpse in a coffin, remember?

I know for a fact that one of the dentists I had found me amusing. She definitely remembered me for being a bit awkward. I noticed a little smile she had, it wasn’t too obvious but it was there.

The usual questions come up, how often do you brush, do you use mouthwash, and do you floss. I’ve always received top marks for the first two, but not the latter. Now how the hell do I explain that one? Just say I have Dyspraxia (which virtually no one has heard of or understands) or just say I can’t do it properly. Depends how I feel as to which I say. Eventually I found a water flosser that I could use, and that’s been a godsend, as I’m useless with that bloody string.