Individuals with special needs, in particular those within the Autism Spectrum, or with Fragile X and Down Syndrome, experience significant challenges accessing dental care. These patients can be overwhelmed by the dental environment, requiring that the provision of care occurs primarily under general anesthesia. Repeated use of general anesthesia is associated with significant health risks and an increased negative association with medical and dental treatment.

Research indicates that desensitization to the procedures, touches, smells, sounds, sights, equipment and expectations of the dental environment can be a successful way to facilitate skills critical to successful client care.  This, in turn, reduces the need for general anesthetic, which is mutually beneficial for the client and health care system.  Effective desensitization procedures require a careful progression through sequences of behaviours that clients find increasingly uncomfortable.  Therefore, the opportunity to experience each stage multiple times is a necessary part of treatment. 

Currently, this may mean a combination of information shared at home followed by multiple visits to a dentist’s office.  This is often a challenge in the current structural delivery in private dental offices. So to assist patient who have anxiety and those with special abilities that find going to a dental office for examinations and preventive care challenging, we created this site and program to help build the confidence to make your visit a success!

How it works

There are five modules that go with kits currently housed at the Camosun College dental school in Victoria, BC Canada. (If you are not in the Victoria, BC area, there is a list of the kit contents available. Dental supply companies or your dental office may be able to provide you with the kit contents.) Each person is unique, so you can spend more time on the areas that you or your patient find challenging….touch, smell, taste.

There is material for each of the five modules housed on this website. Each module page contains a list of the kit pieces associated with it, a social story with audio recordings of the text and a video virtual dental office tour. The videos provide patients an opportunity to experience the dental office through their own eyes. It gives them a feeling as if they are sitting listening to the dentist/dental hygienist or dental assistant and equipment.