For many children, a visit to the dentist can be an overwhelming experience. This is especially true for children with heightened sensory sensitivities.
To help create a more comfortable and positive association with dental care, we were delighted to welcome a class of Indiana University School of Dentistry students to our ABA clinic. They brought hands-on activities and educational opportunities for our kids to engage with in a friendly, familiar, and pressure-free environment.
Over the course of two visits, 10 dental students in two groups along with their field mentor, Rebekah Glunt, participated in this meaningful outreach program. The goal was simple: to introduce our kids to dental hygiene in a way that was engaging, interactive, and completely on their own terms.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all presentation, the team set up a mini "fair-style" event where our kids could explore at their own pace. The activities were developed by Glunt's non-profit, CollabUnity.
The dental students prepared safe dental tools and materials for kids to interact with, helping to demystify the instruments they might see at a dental office. A craft station in our Sensory Area connected creativity with oral care through activities including decorating toothbrush holders and making tooth-themed art.
The dental students also engaged our kids with fun demos and practice sessions of stages of a typical visit to the dentist for teeth cleaning.
To further reinforce the educational side of these positive experiences, short videos were played on a laptop, providing fun and age appropriate explanations about dental visits and hygiene.
The setup allowed for a relaxed and welcoming environment where our kids could engage at varying levels if they felt comfortable, with no pressure to participate. The schedule was laid back, giving our kids ample time to explore, ask questions, and participate in hands-on learning at their own pace. The dental students spread themselves out between the different fair-style stations so our kids could interact with them one-on-one or in small groups.
Through this interaction, the dental students also benefited by getting to know our kids as individuals. They were able to experience first hand the different levels of interest, comfort, and familiarity that our kids have with oral hygiene and dental visits. They were able to practice being receptive and responsive to diverse clients. They were able to learn from conversations with our clients' behavior technicians, behavior analysts, and our clinical director.
By making dental care a fun and stress-free experience, these dental students not only educated our kids on the importance of oral hygiene but learned techniques they will take with them into their careers.
This exchange helped to foster positive attitudes toward future dental visits. Any visit to the dental offices where these students will someday work will be especially positive indeed!
