Dental Service Utilization and Barriers to Dental Care for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jordan: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities are at higher risk for oral diseases such as caries and periodontal disease. Therefore, regular dental care is essential to maintain oral health. However, individuals with disabilities encounter difficulties in accessing dental care. The challenges and barriers to oral care faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have not been addressed in Jordan. The aim of this study was to examine the use of dental services in individuals with ASD in Jordan and identify barriers that affect their access to dental care in comparison with individuals without ASD. A case-control study was carried out among 296 parents/caregivers of individuals with ASD and individuals without ASD, which involved completion of a self-designed questionnaire. The majority of the participants in both groups had visited the dentist in the year preceding completion of the questionnaire. The main reason for visiting dental services was toothache (43%), and the least common reason was routine checkup (11.6%), with a significant difference (P<0.05) observed between the two groups. Barriers including embarrassment (43.5%), a lack of specialized dental staff (28.6%), a lack of knowledge of how to treat people with disabilities (26.6%), and inadequate facilities (34%) were significantly (P<0.05) more likely to be reported by individuals with ASD than the controls. In conclusion, knowing and understanding the barriers to accessing dental care could improve overall health for individuals with ASD. Furthermore, recognizing the challenges in accessing dental care for this population could help oral health professionals to minimize these difficulties.

Oral health-care practices and dental assistance management strategies for people with autism spectrum disorder: An integrative literature review

“…Following the proposed methodology, 32 articles were selected (see Figure 1). The selected studies discussed (see Table 1): oral health conditions of ASD people (AlHammad et al, 2020; Blomqvist et al, 2014; Chandrashekhar & Bommangoudar, 2018; Corridore et al, 2020; David Amaral et al, 2016; Ferrazzano et al, 2020; Hage et al, 2020; Mansoor et al, 2018; McKinney et al, 2014; Onol & Kırzıoğlu, 2018; Orellana et al, 2019; Radović et al, 2018), dental treatment strategies for this group (AlHammad et al, 2020; Cermak et al, 2015; Corridore et al, 2020; Delli et al, 2013; Duker et al, 2019; Ferrazzano et al, 2020; Hage et al, 2020; Onol & Kırzıoğlu, 2018; Widyagarini & Suharsini, 2017), understanding and practices of parents and/or guardians in oral health care (AlHammad et al, 2020; Blomqvist et al, 2014, 2015; Cagetti et al, 2015; David Amaral et al, 2016; Floríndez et al, 2019; Hage et al, 2020; Mansoor et al, 2018; Thomas et al, 2017; Widyagarini & Suharsini, 2017), oral health management of these individuals (Alshatrat et al, 2020; Blomqvist et al, 2015; Chandrashekhar & Bommangoudar, 2018; Corridore et al, 2020; David Amaral et al, 2016; Duker et al, 2019; Hage et al, 2020; Mansoor et al, 2018; Udhya et al, 2014; Widyagarini & Suharsini, 2017; Wiener et al, 2016), barriers and challenges faced by parents/caregivers in seeking dental care (Chandrashekhar & Bommangoudar, 2018; Corridore et a...…”

Necessidade De Tratamento Odontológico Em Pacientes Com Transtorno Do Espectro Autista

“…Crianças com TEA têm maiores necessidades odontológicas em comparação a indivíduos sem e, em geral, indivíduos com deficiência têm maior probabilidade de ter pior saúde bucal do que indivíduos sem essas deficiências. Além disso, a dificuldade de encontrar profissionais que tenha as habilidades necessárias para trabalhar com pacientes especiais são os motivos pelos quais os indivíduos com TEA podem não fazer consultas odontológicas de rotina (ALSHATRAT et al, 2020). No estudo realizado na Escola Olga Caetano Dias -Passo Fundo, com crianças, foi encontrado uma prevalência de quatro meninos para uma menina diagnosticados com TEA, aproximadamente 81% de meninos.…”

Does the Pediatric Dentistry Know About Sensory Processing Disorder? An Integrative Review

“…The development of strategies to create a sensorially adapted dental environment with the help of occupational therapy is essential to overcome these difficulties [18,19].…”