Aspies For Freedom

(My first post)

My son was diagnosed with AS about six months back, he is 7 yrs old.

He has been losing his baby teeth, as is natural at this age, but it seems his anxiety grows more severe each time another tooth becomes loose.

He refuses to wiggle and help hasten the loose teeth, and does everything in his power to protect each tooth from falling out. eating from other side of mouth, never touches or allows anyone to touch the tooth.

I figure it's not such a big deal... no harm done yet. But he's been caring for a single loose tooth for over a month now, and becomes very anxious when ever we have to help brush around it.

Does anyone have similar experiences or advice?

Happy to have found this forum.

Re_scissored
Ohio, USA

Could it be that he is very sensitive in the teeths?

My sister was the same way.  My sister never really got over it and I pretended that I got over it because I didn't like how my sister whined and cried in my ears.  I also wanted to get my teeth out because the idea of bigger and better teeth was rather appealing to me.  Once my sister left a tooth in her mouth until it simply fell out while she was eating.

One way my mom helped us was giving us ice cream after we lost a tooth and then the 'tooth fairy' came and gave us two dollars and a book we had wanted for a while.
I'm not quite sure what advice to give you.  Could it be the experiences he had while getting out his teeth?  The first tooth I lost was yanked out by my dad and it didn't seem to be really painful, but when my sister's first tooth came out it was a surprise and shock to her.

As Erklos said...

Is it the physical sensation of having a loose tooth, or of having the new one grow, that's pressing his buttons?  Maybe that numbing gel they use on teething babies might help.

Or is it the emotional aspect: losing my baby teeth means I'm growing up and I DON'T LIKE CHANGE!  In that case, maybe a chat about how the big teeth will let him eat <insert favourite food here> better, and won't feel any different from his baby teeth?

erkolos:
Yes, I do think it has something to do with sensativity, he also has a hard time washing/brushing/cutting his hair.

Lady Calypso von Kire:
You have a very good point, his first few lost teeth happened at night while he was asleep, but a more recent one was accompanied by some bleeding while he was awake. He seems very concerned about "bleeding so much he might flood the house." - I know, it's strange, but he has many of these surreal concerns.

Ethel:
I love the idea of the teething gel. I think I'll try that one.