Attitude of children with autism spectrum disorder to the dental treatment and assessment of their parents’ knowledge about the oral disease prevention (survey data)

Abstract

Relevance. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder, showing up in children under 3 years old and characterized by the triad of symptoms (qualitative impairment of social interaction and communication, stereotype behavior and non-specific problems) and the dyad of impairment in social interaction, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and/ or interests. According to the Russian and international literature, the prevalence of ASD has tended to grow in the 21th century. Children with ASD experience difficulties in communication and manual skills. The oral hygiene in children with ASD is poor, they need their parents’ help brushing their teeth as well as preparing for a dental visit. Thus, improvement of communication techniques is an urgent challenge for these children.Materials and methods. 75 parents of children with ASD aged 4 to 16 years were surveyed.Results. The received results demonstrated that the parents of children with ASD have very little knowledge about the oral hygiene. While preparing for a dental visit the majority of parents do not use communication techniques, which leads to doctor-patient interaction difficulties.Conclusions. The received data showed that techniques for applied behavior analysis, alternative communication system prove to be highly effective in preparing children with ASD for a dental visit, thus, increasing the effectiveness of preventive procedures.