Dental health: Saving Matthew’s smile

Looking at Matthew’s full set of teeth, it would be difficult to guess that two years ago, he was in danger of losing them all. Matthew, now 15, has a complicated medical history. It runs the gamut, including pervasive developmental disorder (part of autism spectrum disorder), acid reflux and intermittent vomiting. Additionally, Matthew has sensory issues that make him averse to the feeling of a toothbrush. All of this combined to make brushing Matthew’s teeth a daily battle for his parents Janet and Michael Carco, and sometimes the battle was impossible to win. Because of Matthew’s intermittent vomiting, at age 12, he weighed only 55 pounds. His parents and doctors knew all calories mattered. They decided to boost his calorie intake with juice several times a day. It seemed like a great solution. Matthew really enjoyed the juice, and it doubled as a delivery system for a bad-tasting nutritional supplement. But juice is high in sugar and acids, and Matthew’s teeth began to show signs of severe decay. In addition to the sugar from the juice, Matthew’s seizure medication was filled with sugar that stayed on his teeth, even after brushing them before bedtime. Matthew’s dental rehabilitation Michael and Janet brought Matthew to Boston Children’s Hospital, where Dr. Man Wai Ng, chief of the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Dentistry, resolved to save Matthew’s teeth and to keep them saved. After a dental rehabilitation operation under general a...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Health & Wellness Our Patients’ Stories Source Type: news