Abstract
Objective:To determine occurrence of oral habits among Saudi preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compare it with healthy preschool children.Methods:This study was conducted over a 14-months period in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of two groups; a study group (SG) of 150 ASD children, and a control group (CG) of age- and gender-matched 150 healthy children. The parents of the children in both the groups were administered a questionnaire that included questions about the children’s demographic information and previous or persistent oral habits.Results:The prevalence of oral habits was higher (87.3%) among the SG children as compared to CG children (49.3%). The most prevalent oral habit among the SG was bruxism (n = 82; 54.7%), followed by object biting (n = 67; 44.7%) and mouth breathing (n = 40; 26.7 %). Among the CG; the most prevalent oral habit was mouth breathing (n = 40; 26.7%) followed by nail biting (n=18; 12%) and object biting (n = 7; 4.7%). The prevalence of bruxism, object biting, thumb sucking and tongue biting was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the SG than the CG.Conclusions:The prevalence of oral habits was higher in the ASD group children than the healthy children.
Highlights
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that may affect children at an early age.[1]
An assessment of the prevalence of various oral habits among children with ASD and comparison non-ASD children would provide the necessary information regarding the habits in these groups and the problems associated with the oral habits
The sample consisted of 150 study group (SG) children (3-6 years old) and 150 age- and gendermatched control group (CG) children.The SG was recruited from three ASD centers randomly selected from a list of ASD centers obtained from the Saudi Ministry of Education
Summary
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that may affect children at an early age.[1] In Saudi Arabia, the reported prevalence of ASD was 18 per 10,000 live births in 2009.2. The severity of deformation is related to the frequency and duration of the habit, and should be evaluated by pediatric dentists.[6] An assessment of the prevalence of various oral habits among children with ASD and comparison non-ASD children would provide the necessary information regarding the habits in these groups and the problems associated with the oral habits. Studies investigating the prevalence of oral habits among children with ASD are relatively
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