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Dental visits are as non-negotiable as a visit to a pediatrician for children. Unlike adults who can be treated after the incident, in children prevention is better than cure. And to prevent anything major, parents must take their wards to the dentist starting as early as 1 year. Children react and respond to their immediate surroundings, don’t listen to reason, and can be very overwhelmed in the moment, enough to interfere with any procedures done on them. Therefore, finding the problem early, helps in averting it.
Children today are increasingly being looked at as individuals with their own ways of accessing the world. Since everyone of them responds differently to the environment, ensuring their sensory needs are taken care of and not overloaded means understanding their sensitivities for calmer, more relaxed visits to the dentist. Gone are the days when children’s cries and stubbornness were considered as ‘attention seeking’. Today parents are attuned to the needs of children, especially in helping them find ways to go about life and yet address what troubles them. Dentists too are adapting clinics and dental centers to include features such as soothing music, low lighting, projected images moving slowly across the ceiling and multimedia like TV to relax everyone at all times.
Why do children handle dental visits differently than that at a general physician?

Many reasons induce into children a fear of dentists. Perhaps the most plausible explanation is that dental clinics are quiet, sterile spaces with sounds of motor whirring, machines and movement that comprise the constant sounds. It can be daunting for kids given that the general physicians they go to only perform general checkups and don’t need machines to go about their jobs. But there could be several other reasons why a child who is sensorially overwhelmed may dread going to a dentist. This we have observed over a large cross-section of children:
In addition, there could be other attenuating circumstances triggering a child;
Any one of the above can account for a child’s behavior change as soon as he or she walks into a dental clinic. It doesn’t even account for other everyday annoyances we as adults take for granted, which may include traffic sounds, loud noises of cats and dogs, wait before appointments, sounds coming from closed doors, etc. Children often carry all of this stress even before they get into a dentist’s chair and it all explodes or aggravates when seated on it.
What are the 9 steps that parents can do, to handle their overstimulated children even before they get to the dentist?
The concept of a Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Center (SADE) is one that we at Small Bites have been championing since the last 17 years. Everything that we do, from the way our 2 clinics in Indiranagar and Bhartiya City have been designed, to the interiors that are adaptive to the little patients and even our different approaches to the same condition based on the needs of the child, have been conceptualized as relaxing them and providing an atmosphere that helps, rather than instills fear in little minds.
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]]>The post Part 3: How Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Centers (SADE) Help Facilitate Respect for Child’s Boundaries appeared first on Small Bites X Dr.Toothlittle.
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Small Bites Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Center
At the turn of the century, things slowly began to change. It was noticed that patients who visited clinics and especially children, were oftentimes agitated during the wait for doctors. Anxiety increased and clinics began to be considered foreboding and uninviting. This feeling was especially enhanced for those with sensitive temperaments and those who had an inherent fear of doctors. It was observed and even researched that the place, its decor, design and surroundings played a big role in children’s comfort levels. Thus began the need to change the design of dental centers, understand the people who came to them, adapt the environs to their needs and make it a patient-led endeavor.

Sensory adaptiveness of children in the case of Small Bites Dental Experience Centre has shown a significant impact on little lives, through our years of practice. What began with experimenting and ensuring children were met with big smiles, colorful walls, coloring books, multimedia and toys, has gone on to include so much more. Today our clinic is designed with material that is sensorially adaptable to different types of people. From textured flooring, to transitioned lighting that can be dimmed and brightened based on the needs of little patients, versatility in media including sounds and visuals, to different kinds of toys; we have observed how children and adults alike relax and calm down immediately in our spaces. Our observations over 15 years have led us to believe and now further the mission in educating about safe spaces for children. Below are few of the things we’ve seen during our practice;
Dental care has to be child-led and one we have been practicing since several years. Our experience has taught us how every child is unique, accommodative and a good receptor of information provided they are listened to, their needs met, and their boundaries respected. At Small Bites, our dentists and medical staff ensure that pediatric dental care goes beyond treatment to making every child feel heard and seen.
The post Part 3: How Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Centers (SADE) Help Facilitate Respect for Child’s Boundaries appeared first on Small Bites X Dr.Toothlittle.
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As people, we perceive what is around us through our senses. Therefore, none of our realities are alike. Even people from the same family or with similar genetic traits feel their surroundings differently. At the basic level, sensory perception is the use of senses in our possession – hear, sight, taste, touch, smell to constantly and continuously assess the world around us. In earlier times, our ancestors relied on only these to keep themselves safe, to hunt for food, to smell danger and more. As people began to settle, develop communities, and build structures, our reliance on senses considerably reduced with the increased comfort and predictability around us. However, as humans, our inherent nature still depends on an assessment of the surroundings, and we must recognize more than ever the need to respect, address and ensure that whatever the kind of surroundings people are in, it must make them relaxed and must be tailored for the amount and kinds of stimuli they can take. This is where sensory space design in dental clinics comes into play.

In dental care and general healthcare centers, the need for sensory adaptiveness is greatly required, because people often visit the space in a compromised state. A child visiting a clinic is already vulnerable to excessive stimuli, afraid of the newness of the place, unsure about what to expect, and with undeveloped emotions to deal with the situations presented to them. In such a scenario, the only way to make them comfortable for any kind of treatment is to ensure that the space adapts to their individual needs. This is a tall ask for a clinic that caters to many different children with different needs. Below therefore are 3 common factors or criteria that can give you insights on common sensory space design concepts for pediatric dental care.

Similar with sight, is the need for space to have soft lighting, natural light as much as possible. At Small Bites again, each of the dentist’s rooms are embellished with multi-layered, multi-colored lighting that can be dimmed and brightened based on the need of the doctor or the patient’s comfort. These are intriguing, playful and transform the space from floor to ceiling like a deep-sea exploration experience.
Touch is an equally crucial aspect to Sensory Adaptive Experience Centers (SADE). Texture plays a very important role in comfort; from the textures of walls and floors that the child walks on, to the upholstery and carpeting. Having varied textures makes the ambience more versatile and comfortable for children to adapt to.

In the design of SADE pediatric clinics, it is essential to consider a child as a patient, but also the individual whose sensory needs must be met with, in addition to the physical and medical needs. Small Bites has ensured that every aspect has been tailored specifically for this, making it one of India’s only Sensory Adaptive Experience Center, and extensively championed by Dr.Premila Naidu, who works with kids of all ages and all kinds of sensory needs to make the dental experience most comfortable for them.
The post Part 2: The 3 Criteria for Sensory Space Design in Pediatric Dental Clinics appeared first on Small Bites X Dr.Toothlittle.
]]>The world around us is defined by our senses. What we perceive with touching, seeing, feeling, hearing and tasting affects how much we like being in an environment or getting away from it. Sensory perception thus is very valuable, helping us assess what’s outside of us. It is a primary skill, inborn and learnt as babies which grows in depth and intensity as adults. The acuteness of it as children does tend to reduce with adult distractions; but like ‘gut feeling’, helps and guides a majority of our decisions.

Sensory experience is an ignored overlooked aspect of the way the world is designed around us. Design decisions in our surroundings, the way outside influences stimulate us is often never considered important enough. While public and private spaces take care of sensory perception in a general way – dim lighting in hospitals is an example, the interplay of sensory perception and space design in medical practice is not a standard part of best practice guidelines.
People are unique, and therefore their sensory perception even more so. Some are overstimulated by noise, while some others face debilitated functioning when confronted by too less of it and need it in some form always. Some like texture in touch, which calms them while others love the feel of smooth finishes to enhance their moods. This can help or hinder people’s full participation in society, since they are constantly trying to avoid their triggers and find other avenues to work around it. The design of spaces can do well with being more inclusive by taking a sensory approach. People who have to live with heightened, reduced, or complete loss of senses can then be free to work and function, thus enabling support for diverse sensory and other heightened problems.
Hospital and clinic environments especially need such sensory approach to design, given that people already walk in with a range of illnesses, impairments and emotions. At Small Bites Dental Clinic, sensory perception and inclusiveness defines our spaces and the way we approach treatment for everyone.

As one of India’s leading children’s dental clinics complete with pediatric specific methodologies, themed interiors with toys and learning materials, multimedia and technology that makes dental interventions stress-free and pleasant, and experienced pediatric dentists, Small Bites is one of the country’s leading dental experience centers to incorporate sensory design into its physical architecture. While Dr.Premila of Small Bites has been at the forefront in spearheading new innovations in treatment, including the latest ‘laughing gas’ intervention to relax children during complicated procedures, the clinic space has also been adapted to make it more open, comfotable, warm and welcoming for everyone. Created in a ‘beach theme’ complete with pebble and sand like granular textural walkways, to varied mood lighting, and soundscapes, the clinic incorporates a design that facilitates exploration, engagement and experimentation.
At Small Bites, sensory design was a key feature when the clinic was created, with a particular emphasis on making the waiting and treatment rooms engaging, warm and friendly for all children. From tactile walls and flooring to adjustable light brightness for different moods and functional interaction, everything was thought through to give the children the kind of ambience that immediately made them lighter, brighter and more open.

Sensory design also called ‘Biophilic design’ is a good healthcare practice tracing its roots to the principles of Florence Nightingale. Her concepts speak about spaces impacting treatment outcomes, how they must differ for different sets of people, and what works the best for everyone.
Dental clinics cater to some of the most stressful moments in a child’s life, and we know how a better environment can foster better dental outcomes; a more accommodating child, a child open to instructions and asks, and who then considers the space safe and the dentists’ friends they would like to meet again and again.
Like Dr.Premila shares about her idea in designing the clinic, ” A space where children can be free, outgoing, inclusive and where dental care doesn’t become a stressful experience for everyone is what I wanted to create.”
Keep reading our series on ‘Sensory Design in Dental Clinics’ and explore what has gone into our dental space and how we have gone about it.
The post Part 1: The Origin of Sensory Design in Pediatric Dental Clinics appeared first on Small Bites X Dr.Toothlittle.
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As one of India’s leading children’s dental clinics complete with pediatric specific methodologies, themed interiors with toys and learning materials, multimedia and technology that makes dental interventions stress-free and pleasant, and experienced pediatric dentists, Small Bites is uniquely positioned to lead the way in pediatric dental advancements. Dr.Premila of Small Bites has been at the forefront in spearheading new innovations in treatment, including the latest ‘laughing gas’ intervention to relax children during complicated procedures and in cases of increased sensitivities.
And yet as we all know, pediatric dentistry is constantly evolving. Because children are at the receiving end of treatment and dealing with their dental issues is critically important from the start, every new development and every new intervention is important, and we’ve been introducing them at our clinic as some of the first critical interventions in the country since the last 15 years.
As pediatric dentists, here are 3 dental intervention and innovations that will change treatment in the coming months and years.
1. EARLY CAVITY DETECTION WITH PRECISE DIAGNOSTIC & IMAGING TOOLS

Imagine as a parent taking your child regularly for checkups, and finding cavities forming in your child’s mouth even before the physical signs – dark spots – building on them?
Baby teeth are important. They pave the way for healthy and whole permanent teeth, contribute to facial shape and help in speech development. It is all about children and their confidence and thus tooth decay signs in them are very damaging. However, working extensively on dental intervention in little children comes with its own stress and anxiety. Catching delay early is thus beneficial and also easy, fast and affordable. It prevents the entire process of finding the decay, removal, surgery, restoration and more. Emerging decay can also be reversed if found early.
Getting a child examined by the dentist at the age of 1 year is the first step towards preventative dental care. Newer diagnostic tools like imaging and illumination are slowly making their way into pediatric dentistry and in the future will be able to pick changes in bone density and enamel thus identifying decay spots early, making treatment easy.
2. PAINLESS INJECTION AND TECHNIQUES
Getting children examined and treated begins from making it painless and comfortable for them. If as a parent you are stressed while taking your child to the dentist, think of how that stress will pass on to them subtly & invariably.
Injections for both adults and kids alike can be terrifying. The feel of a needle piercing into the gums can prevent children from getting the best treatment they can and in time. Painless injections and techniques can take care of it. From multimedia distractions to methods that minimize the use of anasthesia, some of the ‘pinch’ felt by kids and their stress can be greatly reduced.

Kids with severe dental phobia or neuro-atypical children or those with increased tactile & textural sensitivity can avail of safe, effective dental treatment with sedation dentistry when absolutely needed. Nitrous Oxide or Laughing gas is increasingly being used as a safe alternative to ease stress, delivered only when required in required doses by expert trained dentists.
3. BITE-SIZED DENTISTRY

Children love play, and anything that can make their surroundings less foreboding, more engaging and more child’like in size. One of ongoing and future trends of pediatric dentistry is the child-sizing of dental technology.
For years adult dental tools and tech have been used in treating children, and they can seem huge and daunting from the perspective of little eyes. But as we’re constantly updating our technology and tools, imaging and machines, at Small Bites, we’re constantly using high-tech imaging only when absolutely necessary, decreasing exposure time for kids and using smaller tools where necessary. The use of pedo sensors – bite sized digital sensors instead of bitewings is one such breakthrough, that will become increasingly common in the next few years. They make treatment comfortable and fast. Handheld x-ray machines, CT radiographs are other equipment getting more popular in use, all in the effort to be more precise, reduce exposure and make treatments quicker.
The use of Invisalign First or transparent braces is a significant endeavor to make treatment more child friendly. Re-aligning children’s teeth, improving their bite, shaping their mouth are all being done by Small Bites’ ‘Center For Invisalign’ in an effort to make it all seem gentler and more manageable for the child.
At Small Bites we make sure we’re doing whatever we can for our children, giving them access to treatment and tools that make their experience fulfilling and happy, whether for the children themselves or their parents.
The post 3 Pediatric Dental Advancements Small Bites Is Most Excited About appeared first on Small Bites X Dr.Toothlittle.
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Pain, something we all experience whenever we go through a health problem or when taking treatment of any kind. When it comes to teeth, it isn’t just the pain felt when teeth are caried or there’s gum problem, but the pain that we prepare for and dread much before we even visit the dentist.
Imagine this in children, and the anxiety induced pain and stress being exaggerated 5x times!

What is dental pain and how is it different from pain in other parts of the body?
Dental pain is a type of localised pain that is felt in the teeth, gums, or jaw. It is typically caused by dental problems such as cavities, gum disease, or tooth infections. Dental pain can range from mild discomfort to severe, sharp pain that makes it difficult to eat, drink, or even talk.
What are Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Centres (SADE)?

A Sensory Adaptive Dental Experience Center (SADE) unlike a regular dental center, has an environment adapted to work with the sensory abilities of little children. All children when born step into a new environment. From the time they are babies till they grow into teens, they are constantly adapting and changing, each of them taking their time and stretching their abilities in the world. But all children are not the same. They perceive their sense of touch, pain, light and sound differently. This impacts the way they feel pain and react to the surroundings, some find it easy while others find it harsh. Their reaction can change the way they become, impacting any kind of external intervention, even getting teeth examined by a dentist to stop or prevent dental related issues.
SADE environments consider the growth and feelings of a child and feature many different sensorial stimuli that can be adapted to their needs. Whether it is bright or soft lights, textured walls and flooring for their feet, multimedia devices to distract them, intervention like laughing gas and other accessories that help them navigate their sensorial stimuli and help them get interventional treatment or management.

How do these tools reduce pain?
SADE centers work with patients in 2 different areas:
A sensory adaptive dental center may help to reduce pain and discomfort experienced by children during dental procedures. These centers are designed to provide a calming and supportive environment for patients with mild or severe sensory processing difficulties, such as those with autism or other developmental disorders.
By providing a quiet and low-stimulation environment, with features such as dim lighting, noise-cancelling headphones, visual and TV aids, weighted blankets, and other sensory supports, sensory adaptive dental centers can help to reduce anxiety and stress for patients, which may in turn reduce the perception of pain.
In addition, some sensory adaptive dental centers may also use techniques such as distraction therapy, virtual reality, or other forms of cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients manage their pain and discomfort during dental procedures.
Small Bites is one of India’s top Sensory Adaptive Dental Centers designed entirely in a special ‘Beach Theme’ where the entire environment has been moulded to work with the sensory needs of different children, so they get the kind of treatment they need without feeling scared, anxious or overwhelmed.
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What makes this clinic better than the others? After all, every dental clinic provides the same kind of services for little kids, right?
Yes, you are right! Most clinics provide the same dental services to everyone from the family – be they children or adults. Clinics treat the same gum and tooth problems, manage dental caries and the occasional pulpectomy and more.
Small Bites Dental Experience Center is very unique, both in the services it offers and the ambience of the space. Below are 5 reasons why.

Visit us with your kids, whether for the first time or to explore other treatment modalities and see for yourself how a dental clinic designed exclusively for your child can make such a big difference to them and their moods.
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