3.4 Anticipatory Guidance

Parents of children with special health care needs frequently report that they receive little information about their child’s oral development and that they don't feel confident in performing oral hygiene care. As part of health supervision, oral health professionals should provide parents with anticipatory guidance. Anticipatory guidance refers to key information about oral development, teething and tooth eruption, oral hygiene, feeding and eating practices, exposure to fluoride, and injury prevention provided to the family about the child’s current oral health and what to expect during the next developmental stage. Although anticipatory guidance for most children is based on chronological age, in children with special health care needs, it is based on an overall assessment of the child’s growth and development and level of functioning in activities of daily living.