Dental knowledge of educators and healthcare providers working with children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Objectives:To evaluate dental knowledge and attitudes toward oral health care among healthcare providers and educators working with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in central Saudi Arabia.Methods:There were 305 questionnaires distributed to 7 special-needs centers between September and November 2014. A total of 217 questionnaires were collected with a response rate of 71.1%. The study took place in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Results:Approximately 50.2% of the participants did not offer any toothbrushing advice, and 73.3% never recommended dental checkup visits to parents, and 75.6% never performed dental examinations to children under their care. Ten percent thought that children should have their first dental visit after 6 years of age. Almost all participants agreed that children should practice oral hygiene, and 60.4% think they should brush twice per day. In general, the participants choose toothbrushes and toothpaste as the main tools to perform oral hygiene. There were 35% of participants who believed that parents should be responsible for the children’s oral hygiene, and a few participants mentioned teachers and therapists to be responsible. Most of the participants (71.4%) did not receive any dental information from dental professional resources, only 14.3% of participants believed bacteria to be the cause of dental cavities.Conclusion:There is a clear lack of dental knowledge and attitudes, and its practical application among the participating group of healthcare providers working with children with ASD in Riyadh.

Preparedness and willingness of dental care providers to treat patients with special needs

“… 1 , 3 , 7 , 13 , 16 , 19 , 22 – 24 , 26 – 30 These studies attempted to measure the preparedness, 9 , 13 , 26 , 27 experience, 19 , 22 , 23 , 26 , 27 knowledge, 3 attitudes, 13 , 26 , 29 and perceptions 7 , 24 , 31 of the dental care providers in regard to treating patients with special needs. The studies were directed at different target populations, where some targeted decision makers at dental teaching institutions, 1 , 3 , 27 while others targeted clinical dental care providers 29 – 32 and some studies targeted alumni and/or current students. 7 , 13 , 19 , 22 – 24 , 26 , 28 …”

“…Some of the reviewed scales were self-developed by the authors, 16 , 23 , 26 , 27 while others adapted scales from the literature, 22 , 29 , 30 , 32 and most of the reviewed studies did not mention the development of their scales.…”

“…Most of the reviewed studies either did not mention validation of their scale 7 , 22 – 24 , 29 or conducted face and/or content validity. 16 , 26 – 28 , 32 Only one study mentioned conducting construct validity by conducting inter-item correlation. 19 None of the reviewed scales were fully validated.…”

Oral hygiene and habits of children with autism spectrum disorders and their families

“…The significant difference between the information regarding the families and the children clearly indicate the need for education programs aiming to encourage the adherence to hygienic habits of oral care by families and professionals working with ASD children ( 7 , 9 ).…”

“…Studies in majority countries describe challenging realities. In Saudi Arabia, educators, families and health-care providers tend to neglect oral-health care when working with children with ASD ( 9 , 10 ). A research about dental care experiences of children with ASD in three major cities in Saudi Arabia ( 11 ) concluded that more than half of the children had no previous dental-care experience and 33% of them were treated under general anesthesia.…”