Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder first recognized in 1943. Affected children are often diagnosed in the first three years of life and are 4 times more common in boys than in girls.
Symptoms of impaired social communication include learning disabilities and speech disorders.
The condition of the mouth and teeth of these children needs special attention, because due to the lack of awareness of some families, in many cases, these children with gingivitis and advanced and sometimes incurable caries go to the dentist.
Oral status in children with autism
According to research, children with autism are often no different from normal children in terms of tooth structure, but because these children have a strong desire for soft and sweet foods, and sometimes weak muscles around the mouth, resulting in reduced chewing efficiency. There is and sometimes there is even a tendency to keep food in the mouth for a long time. The rate of caries increases in these children.
Also, due to the inability to brush properly and lack of cooperation with parents, caries and gingivitis are more common in these children.
Differences in dental treatment of a child with autism with other children
Given the above characteristics, dental treatment is certainly one of the challenges for families with children with autism, because the inability of these children to process properly, the sounds of devices, the light of the dental unit and other environmental characteristics cause them to react and lack communication. Verbal and visual and reduced concentration and sudden body movements make treatment difficult for the dentist.
What to do in the dental environment?
It is better to allow the child to stay in the dental environment for a while during the examination session and to create a sense of initial familiarity with the environment.
Talk to your dentist about the child's special condition, especially if he or she has a history of seizures.
Let your child bring their favorite toy, sheet, or doll to the dentist.
Because children with autism tend to be monotonous in their work, it is best to have their dental work done in a specific setting by a specific dentist.
This increases the likelihood of improved collaboration in multiple sessions.
Dental sessions should be short and accompanied by encouragement and reinforcement of positive behaviors.
Dentists use special methods to treat children with autism, including the introduction of dental equipment and step-by-step treatments.
Your cooperation with the dentist and following his instructions and keeping you calm during the treatment will help to improve the treatment process.
Because of the sudden movement of these children, your dentist may ask you to help hold the child or use special equipment to do so.
Dental treatments under general anesthesia and sedation
There are different types of autism and its severity and symptoms vary in different children.
Some children with the disease are not able to cooperate in the dental environment at all and performing dental treatments in the office or clinic environment may be dangerous for them. Also, due to the child's lack of cooperation, the quality of dental work may change, so for these children Dental treatments are performed under general anesthesia or sedation.
These treatments are performed in a hospital setting and all dental procedures are often performed in one session.
In most cases, if the patient's condition is favorable, there is no need for hospitalization and the child is discharged after dental procedures and complete awakening.
Essential health measures at home
Parents have a primary responsibility for maintaining good oral hygiene. Brushing is not forbidden by the child himself, but it is not enough. Teaching a child with autism to brush, like many other things, should be done step by step, for example, the first step is to open the toothpaste door. The second step is to leave the toothpaste door aside. Rubbing toothpaste on the toothbrush, the fourth step is closing the lid of the toothpaste and ....
Each step must be taken to learn each step. These teachings should be given to the child calmly and pleasantly so that brushing is introduced to the child as a pleasant thing.
In severe cases of autism in children with severe resistance, due to the importance of oral hygiene, parents should sit facing each other with their knees in contact and the child should be on the parents' lap.
One parent holds the baby's feet and hands and the other parent brushes while holding the baby's head.
Bruxism and other special conditions
Many affected children squeeze their teeth overnight or even during the day, believing that this movement may cause enamel cracks or break the restorations placed on the teeth.
Sometimes children are prescribed certain medications by a doctor. Many of these drugs reduce saliva flow and dry mouth.
Some children with autism develop gag reflexes, even with minor stimuli. This can cause stomach acid to enter the oral cavity and wear down the enamel.
The need for regular dental appointments
According to the special needs of these children, dental examinations should be performed regularly and once every 4-6 months.
Preventive work such as fluoride therapy by a dentist can help prevent recurrence of caries.
