Impact of dental treatment on the oral health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the impact of dental treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), through the perception of caregivers.

Methods and results: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted on 115 individuals with ASD, 6-14 years of age, recruited from the referral centers for special needs individuals at Teresina, Brazil. A clinical examination was carried out and the OHRQoL was measured using the Brazilian version of the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) before and 3 months after dental treatment. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Levene, Mann-Whitney, Kruskall-Wallis, and Wilcoxon tests, and the Poison regression with backward method (P < .05). Treatment needs of children with ASD consisted of dental restorations (81.7%), oral prophylaxis (66.1%), endodontic treatment (10.4%), and tooth extractions (10.4%). The baseline P-CPQ total score varied from 1 to 33 (mean score = 13.2 [±6.4]), and at 3 months after treatment it ranged from 0 to 10 (mean score 3.4 [±2.2] (P < .001). The effect magnitude varied between 0.55 and 0.56.

Conclusion: According to the perception of the caregivers, dental treatment had a positive impact on the OHRQoL of children and adolescents with ASD.

Keywords: autism; dental care; oral health; quality of life.