Caries Management Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Due to their disability to communicate and impaired sensory and motor behaviours, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present a challenge to the dental care providers hence resulting in difficult routine dental care as well as increased risk for dental caries and other dental infections. This review aims to acquire a deeper understanding of the best approach to manage carious lesions for children with ASD at home and in dental clinics. A literature search was carried out in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane databases using main keywords including 'carious lesion', 'paediatric', 'dental decay', and 'developmental disability. The inclusion criteria were full articles in the English language and studies related to dentistry only. Out of the initial 326 articles found from the search, 17 articles were eligible to be analysed at the end. Literature, as reported by the studies, was then qualitatively gathered and arranged thematically. Our review found several effective strategies for caries management of children with ASD including the use of behavioural modifications, visual pedagogy, use of pre-treatment audio-visual aids and applications. In addition, clinical preventive procedures using fluoride-based therapy and restorative treatments were also reported to be effective on these children than on comparative groups. The findings from this review could enlighten the health literacy and competency of caregivers when providing oral health care for children with ASD at home and in dental clinics and highlight the awareness on children's 'dental sensitivity' albeit the pain from dental caries.