Knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health care among parents of autism spectrum disorder children

Abstract

Background: Parents, usually, are the primary decision makers on matters aff ecting their child’s overall health including oral health. Owing to the lack of cooperation, cooccurring disorders and its fi nancial burden on parents, oral health is often neglected in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice toward oral health care among parents of ASD children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an Autistic school for children, in North Bengaluru. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to 60 parents. Oral examination of the children was done to record gingival status using dichotomous scale and dentition status was recorded using decayed missing fi lled teeth (DMFT)/dmft indices. Descriptive analysis was performed. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 19.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2010. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results: About 76.9% of the parents had the knowledge that oral health aff ects the overall health of the child. 40.4% thought that they should consult a pediatric dentist when the child had dental problems. 71.2% parents felt the importance of maintaining primary teeth. However 61.5% did not want any treatment for decay in primary teeth. 82.7% parents brushed their child’s teeth once daily. 94.2% of the parents used conventional toothbrushes for their children. Attitudes and practice of parents seemed to be governed by fi nancial restraints, and preconceived notions regarding co-operation of their child. Conclusion: The knowledge toward oral health was noted to be inadequate among majority of the parents. Furthermore, parents whose knowledge was adequate had not incorporated healthy daily practices. Parents of ASD children need to be educated about consequences of oral health neglect and importance of regular check-ups. Education of parents, access to dental care and aff ordability of oral health care services for this special group are critical factors for achieving optimal oral health in these patients.