Propel. Connect. Smile.

Neurodivergent children are increasingly presenting in paediatric dental settings with diverse sensory, communication, and regulation profiles. Many also arrive with heightened anxiety or previous distressing healthcare experiences. Trauma-informed care is essential in modern practice, and neurodiversity-affirming care expands this lens by recognising that not all distress is trauma-based and that neurological differences themselves shape how children experience the dental environment.

This session explores how trauma-informed principles and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks intersect in paediatric dentistry. Delegates will gain practical, clinically relevant strategies to support children with sensory sensitivities, communication differences, chronic health conditions, and dental fear, with an emphasis on proactive design rather than reactive management.

Through case examples and real-world application, the session will demonstrate how small environmental, relational, and procedural adjustments can meaningfully improve engagement, trust, and long-term oral health outcomes. Importantly, these approaches aim to support not only children and families, but also dental teams working within busy, high-demand clinical settings.

Attendees will leave with concrete tools and reflective frameworks that can be implemented immediately across metropolitan, regional, and rural practices.