The caries experience and behavior of dental patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Resident: Roberts

Date: 5/18/11

Article title: The caries experience and behavior of dental patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Authors: Cheen Loo, Graham Richard, et al.

Journal: JADA

Volume #: 139

Year: 2008

Background: The authors conducted a study to evaluate ASD with those who were unaffected by the disorder in the areas of: behavior, and caries prevelance.

Methods: The authors reviewed the patient charts of 395 patients with ASD and 386 charts of patients who did not have ASD. They noted age, sex, residence(home or institutionalized), presence of a seizure disorder, other diagnosis, medications, caries prevalence, caries severity, and behavior.

Results: ASD Male:Female ration of 4:1, Sex distribution was equal to the unaffected group, which was younger and had higher rates of DMFT than did the ASD group. A significantly higher percentage of patients with ASD were uncooperative and required dental treatment to take place under general anesthesia. In the ASD group 55.2 percent of patients were uncooperative (that is they exhibited either negative or definitely negative behavior and only 9.2 percent exhibited definitely positive behavior). Caries prevalence and severity of decay was not associated with institutionalization, presence of seizure disorder or additional diagnosis. Regarding ASD patients with primary teeth, they were 83.4 percent less likely to have caries than were those unaffected. In the permanent dentition, they were 65.9 percent less likely to have caries than were those unaffected. No significant difference was noted in the amount of decay severity between male and female patients with ASD.

Conclusion: People with ASD were more likely to be caries free and had lower DMFT scores than those were unaffected. Significantly more ASD patients were uncooperative and required GA to treat decay than did others.