Dental health care for children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive disorders beginning in early childhood. The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise over the last few decades. A disorder of this kind does not have any direct impact on the oral health, but the behavior of the affected children can markedly deteriorate it. Due to a poor compliance to oral hygiene and maintenance of oral health, dental film accumulates in the oral cavity, leading to both caries and its complications, and gingival-periodontal diseases. A high percentage of children with ASD are not sufficiently compliant during dental interventions, being hyperactive, tense, and often highly agitated. Any dental intervention in such children is therefore very complicated or it cannot be performed at all, consequentially broadening the spectrum of indications for dental extractions. In order to preserve the oral health in children with ASD, an individualized approach to each patient is thus necessary. Conclusion: The journey to a healthy oral cavity and teeth in children with ASD is full of twists and turns, but the desired goals can be realized, although requiring considerable patience and perseverance from both the parents and pediatric dentists.

Keywords

• autism
• dental health care