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A wide spectrum of long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments can affect all aspects of life for a person with special needs, including professional dental care. Malocclusion occurs in many people with developmental disabilities, which can result in poor oral hygiene and an increased risk of gum disease, dental cavities, and oral trauma. Damaging oral habits such as bruxism (teeth grinding/clenching), food pouching, mouth breathing, and tongue thrusting can pose additional problems. Oral malformations can cause enamel defects, high lip lines with dry gums, and variations in teeth’ number, size, and shape.
At Lighthouse Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we understand it can be challenging to find an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who meets the needs of a family member with special needs in Memorial, Houston, TX, and Medical Center, Houston, TX. Our patient-centered practice setting ensures every patient is treated with respect, dignity, and empathy. In addition to extensive clinical skills, we’ve learned to adapt treatment to meet the needs of special needs patients. Our compassionate oral surgeons determine each patient’s cognitive, emotional, and physical issues, as well as their level of dental fear, then go above and beyond to help them feel comfortable enough to comply with exams and procedures.
To understand what’s in the best interest of every patient and create the most appropriate treatment plan, we work closely with individuals, their caregivers, and specialists. We strive to help each patient achieve their goals while minimizing stress, discomfort, or anxiety. Through open dialogue and collaboration, we align treatment with each patient’s unique needs and ensure all providers and caregivers agree about what is required and what to expect. Our skilled and caring oral surgeons have extensive experience working with patients with a broad range of special needs, including:
Patients with special needs face diverse challenges when undergoing oral surgery at Memorial, Houston, TX, and Medical Center, Houston, TX. More planning, understanding, and care are necessary to deliver successful outcomes while ensuring a safe and comfortable experience.
Given our advanced surgical training and medical knowledge of the face, mouth, and jaw, our oral surgeons are well-equipped to perform everything from wisdom tooth extractions to complex oral surgeries. We’ve seen firsthand how a calm chairside manner, combined with safe and effective anesthesia options, ease the minds of special needs patients and their caregivers alike. While early intervention using IV sedation and behavioral management partially mitigates the need for general anesthesia, we may recommend this to facilitate jaw surgery at our Medical Center, Houston, TX, hospital-based practice setting.
