Invasive procedures and sensitivity

[Anonymous]

My son needs a blood draw and a tooth filing. He is very sensitivity to touch. Anything that seems like no big deal to you and me is worthy of a blood curdling scream and trashing from him. Numbing agents and distractions to not work. Once he gets spun up it only gets worse.

He has anxiety and ASD. We’ve tried the blood draw at Children’s. He’s 14 and strong. With 5 people trying to hold him down it wasn’t working. At the SN dentist he tried numbing gel but my son complained he still could feel everything. So the dentist injected more numbing stuff. At that was the end of the procedure. My son put his hands over his mouth and would not move.

He keeps saying he wants to be knocked out for these type of procedures. I keep trying to explain that anesthesia requires an IV to begin with.

I’m not looking for recommendations for pediatric phelobotomaists or dentists. I’m looking for the techniques that you’ve used to get these type of things done.

[Anonymous]

My son w asd had to have a few teeth removed lately. I bribed him ahead of time with a new video game to get him to the dr. He did freak out when the needle went in his arm but it knocked him out within 30 seconds so it was short.

[Anonymous]

Numbing doesn't work for me during dental procedures, my dentist gives me gas. You stated you don't want recommendations for providers but you can ask if your current one will use gas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son w asd had to have a few teeth removed lately. I bribed him ahead of time with a new video game to get him to the dr. He did freak out when the needle went in his arm but it knocked him out within 30 seconds so it was short.

PP again. With the teeth removal we also tried to go the numbing gel route and that didnt work. We had to go to an oral surgeon.

I make sure to tell all medical professionals in situations that he is on the autism spectrum which means that he sometimes communicates differently and expresses his emotions differently than they might expect from kids his age. That seems to help from the beginning with level-setting. That way they kind of know to get in and out quickly and arent shocked by an unexpected freak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Numbing doesn't work for me during dental procedures, my dentist gives me gas. You stated you don't want recommendations for providers but you can ask if your current one will use gas.

We’ve tried gas, Ativan, and Valium. He won’t relax enough to let any of them work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son w asd had to have a few teeth removed lately. I bribed him ahead of time with a new video game to get him to the dr. He did freak out when the needle went in his arm but it knocked him out within 30 seconds so it was short.

PP again. With the teeth removal we also tried to go the numbing gel route and that didnt work. We had to go to an oral surgeon.

I make sure to tell all medical professionals in situations that he is on the autism spectrum which means that he sometimes communicates differently and expresses his emotions differently than they might expect from kids his age. That seems to help from the beginning with level-setting. That way they kind of know to get in and out quickly and arent shocked by an unexpected freak out.

We’ve been seeing the same ped dentist since he was 3 or 4. Around 6, he had a lot of cavities. The dentist referred us to the oral surgeon and my son had them all filled at once under general. The current situation is one cavity. The dentist did not suggest the oral surgeon this time. He just said try again in 3 mo.

[Anonymous]

Really, Valium didn’t work? Ask for a bigger dose. Try it earlier.

[Anonymous]

My child is younger but we’ve had success with distraction. Literally put on a show for the tough parts. Maybe Valium plus YouTube? Add a bribe? I would throw anything and everything at it since it’s important.

However, just wondering if it’s just one and you need to buy time can they do silver fluoride at least in the short term? Our dentist will do that for regular small cavities because my child is so difficult.

Mostly though I’m really sorry. It’s really hard when you don’t know how to get your child to do something that they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is younger but we’ve had success with distraction. Literally put on a show for the tough parts. Maybe Valium plus YouTube? Add a bribe? I would throw anything and everything at it since it’s important.

However, just wondering if it’s just one and you need to buy time can they do silver fluoride at least in the short term? Our dentist will do that for regular small cavities because my child is so difficult.

Mostly though I’m really sorry. It’s really hard when you don’t know how to get your child to do something that they need.

Thanks. The ASD is preventing him from being distracted. He is adamant in watching the needle before it goes in. It’s like he’s fixated on it. Then he flips out. Once he’s gone he can’t hear anyone telling him anything. He becomes so overwhelmed that he shuts down.

I appreciate the solidarity. It is hard.

[Anonymous]

OP, is he willing to try a 'shot blocker' type of thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is he willing to try a 'shot blocker' type of thing?

We’ve tried topical lidocaine and something called freezy spray at Children’s. He says it doesn’t numb him. I was wondering how a numbing shot like they do for stitches would work?

For the dentist we’ve tried the numbing gel followed by the numbing shot. The shot sent him through the roof in pain. He says he could still feel everything.