My Healthy Smile app for iPhones and iPods has been made available by Delta Dental of Minnesota in collaboration with Fraser, which serves children and adults with special needs.
Children will be taught good oral health with My Healthy Smile. The app will also help to ease anxieties around dental visits. Children are provided information on what to expect at the dentist. They are also provided information on how to have good oral care at home. All this information is provided in the form of 11 audio and visual social scripts. Having your teeth cleaned, taking X-rays, getting fillings, losing a tooth, brushing and healthy eating are some of the topics covered by the application.
In a release, Pat Pulice, director of Autism Services at Fraser, said, “The use of social scripts works especially well for children who have autism or developmental disabilities. The My Healthy Smile app is designed for children between the developmental ages of 3 and 10.”
According to Ann Johnson, director of Community Affairs at Delta Dental of Minnesota, it is important to connect to oral health in a positive manner especially for children and adults with special needs. The consequences can be profound in case dental anxiety is experienced by children or adults. Pain and more costly dental treatment will result in the case of not establishing the basic daily and preventive dental care.
In a release, Johnson said, “The My Healthy Smile app can help children and adults with special needs as well as their parents, caregivers and dentists, who collectively can help make a difference.”
Children and adults with special needs are served by Fraser in the areas of education, housing and healthcare.
Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
