UK dental professionals' knowledge, experience and confidence when treating patients on the autism spectrum

Abstract

Background: Over 1% of the UK population have a diagnosis of autism, and yet there is minimal information regarding the experiences of dental professionals working with people on the autistic spectrum. The current study is the first to investigate UK dental professionals' knowledge of autism, their perceived confidence when treating autistic patients, and the factors that affect this. Methods: An online, self-report survey was completed by 482 UK dental professionals and included questions on participants' training, prior experiences and knowledge of autism, and confidence when treating autistic patients.Results: Over half the respondents reported having no formal autism training however average knowledge levels across the whole sample were good. Conversely, levels of confidence were only moderate. Respondents often cited conflict between understanding the additional needs for successful treatment of autistic patients and a lack of resources to implement support strategies. Despite this, the vast majority were positive about making the necessary modifications to support autistic patients.Conclusion: This study highlights ways in which UK dental professionals adapt their practices to meet the needs of their autistic patients, yet report only moderate confidence levels when doing so. Implications for future training initiatives are discussed.

Dental experiences of a group of autistic adults based in the United Kingdom

“…Though this study provides a foundation for understanding autistic adults’ dental experiences in the United Kingdom, a number of questions remain. UK dental training includes special care and autism awareness lectures, yet pediatric and special care dentists are more likely to receive autism training and accept autistic patients 25,27,28 . Future research should examine if autistic people's experiences differ depending on which dentist they attend.…”

“…However, if dentists felt their education prepared them well, they were more likely to accept patients with special needs 25,26 . Other research has shown that within the United Kingdom a similar sentiment exists, with dental practitioners reporting high knowledge yet only moderate confidence when working with autistic patients 27 …”

“…The current study is, to our knowledge, the first to highlight the dental care experiences of UK‐based autistic adults in their own words. Previous studies on the topic have focused on autistic children's dental experiences, as reported by their caregivers, 12,18 or examined the views of the dental professionals working with autistic individuals 27 . While caregivers and professionals can provide some information, incorporating autistic voices into research is crucial for ensuring quality dental care for autistic people 4 .…”

Factors Associated with Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Physicians related to Autism spectrum disorder in Romania

“…Some studies indicated a lack of formal training regarding ASD and the management of diagnosed children in terms of the available options [38,39]. On the other hand, other studies have also shown that physicians that specialized in ASD, and/or had experience with ASD scored higher in knowledge assessments regarding ASD [40,41], were able to understand the need for an early diagnosis [40,42], had a more positive attitudes towards those with ASD [40,43], and were able to better handle children with ASD in their practice [39].…”

Features of dental care for children with autism spectrum disorders

“…Так, 97 % британских стоматологов хотя бы раз в жизни оказывали помощь пациенту с РАС. При этом 58 % врачей знали о методах и способах лечения таких пациентов, и 53,4 % смогли применить их на практике [6].…”