u/Far_Difficulty_7106

Any other dyspraxics feel/felt externally like an annoying little kid or way too “young” and scared for the expectations held against you? Whenever I speak to adults about this I get back, “everyone feels like that they just hide it”. Which can be true obviously but it just seems exceptionally different for me. I’m 16, when I look back at videos of my older sisters from this age I feel like a huge disappointment. I’ve been held back a year at school, despite getting good grades, because of having trouble fitting in with people my age. I start driving lessons next year, my mum is pushing me to get a job, and my oldest sister scolds me because of how lazy I am. Elvanse has helped a lot with getting stuff done and I’m praying my new fluoxetine prescription will help me put my childish emotions aside. If anyone else has dealt with this, how have you coped? How did adulthood treat you? And once I catch up, how do I keep again from falling behind socially? I’m an aspiring med/dent student and this feels impossible to navigate

FASDers with TMJ disorder, parents/carers of those and are thinking about braces for their children, anyone who struggles with teeth brushing or wants adult braces, please inform yourself with this.

TMJ disorder manifests in so many ways you may think are unrelated but are strongly linked, such as; insomnia/sleep apnea, cervical spine dysfunction, chronic sinus problems, tinnitus ❗, migraines, depression, and a lot more. I can’t stress enough how important your jaw and oral hygiene are to the rest of your body and quality of life.

Children, even more so those that are special needs, are infamously bad at brushing their teeth. But with FASD an established dental care routine is so incredibly important! I’m 16, not a professional, but after finding out I had suspected FASD and arthritis in my jaw, it sparked an interest in orthodontics. TMJ disorder is prevalent in this syndrome as a symptom of both jaws, most importantly the upper one, being deficient. Also causing crooked teeth. PLEASE for the love of god if you are thinking about getting you or your FASD kid braces, DON’T… yet. Extraction of the premolars is a very common practice in orthodontics and will CREATE OR WORSEN A TMJ DISORDER!!! Taking out teeth add to underlying skeletal discrepancies, which are a diagnostic feature in FASD patients! Likewise, degeneration of even a single tooth (which can be invisible at first if it’s asymptomatic in the root), may unravel a hell of symptoms. The jaw needs the roots of teeth to keep it’s structure. Please adults and carers, brush properly, FLOSS, and get check ups if you can afford them.

Our skeletal jaw discrepancies develop misaligned bites, crooked teeth and teeth in awkward places even if it doesn’t seem as though. Having these issues makes you prone to tooth decay, emphasising the importance of dental hygiene for us.

If you are thinking about getting you or your child braces, it is crucial to make sure you are offered The Damon System (favourably) or traditional braces without extraction. Please take this from me who had to spend £8000+ on treatment, 2 surgeons and 2 orthos to figure out what was wrong. Please try go to a TMJ or jaw specialist orthodontist, and clinics that do early intervention and growth modification.

More importantly for adults, go to your dentist and ask for a bruxism night guard (NHS 18+ around £70-£300), even if you don’t think you grind your teeth. If they find evidence that you do, they will sort you one. I advise anyone with bruxism who can’t afford an official mouthguard to order a cheaper alternative online.

I hope people signify this information, preventative action is valuable. Especially early intervention, as young as 6 years old, take your kid to a specialist orthodontist. It could cost them a chronic condition.