Dental Implications of the Patient with ADHD
Scheduling Appointments

Appointments for patients with ADHD should be scheduled early in the morning; approximately 30-60 minutes after stimulant medication has been taken.²⁸ The morning appointments are most advantageous because the patient will be less fatigued, most attentive, and best able to remain seated.

If the patient takes multiple doses of medication throughout the day, there is a period where the patient is not covered by medication called a “rebound period.” Dental practitioners should avoid these times for dental treatment for patients with ADHD.

Parents of patients with ADHD will often allow their child to have "drug holidays" where they do not take medication. Drug holiday periods should be avoided for dental procedures.

If extensive work is needed, patients should be scheduled for several short appointments rather than a long appointment. If longer appointments are unavoidable, breaks should be provided. The patient should be informed that a break will be given, and given advanced notice of when the break will be over to ease the transition back to treatment.

More frequent recall for oral prophylaxis should be considered if the patient presents with any signs of dental caries, gingival infection, or xerostomia. Topical fluoride treatments should be considered to help impede the decay process.

All dental appointments should be confirmed to avoid the possibility of broken appointments.¹⁵