Dental Care Access and Oral Health for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental conditions characterised by differences in social communication, restricted interests and sensory sensitivities. These characteristics frequently intersect with oral health, creating unique challenges to preventive care, routine examinations and treatment. Individuals with ASD often exhibit heightened anxiety in novel environments, difficulty tolerating routine oral hygiene practices and varied pain perception, all of which contribute to increased caries prevalence, gingival inflammation and unmet treatment needs. Communication barriers and atypical behavioural responses may hinder the establishment of rapport between dental professionals, patients and caregivers, while sensory stimuli in the dental setting—bright lights, drilling sounds and unfamiliar tastes—can provoke distress and limit cooperation. Moreover, disparities in provider training and service availability exacerbate access issues, particularly in regions lacking specialist interdisciplinary teams. To address these challenges, recent strategies emphasise adaptation of the clinical environment, incorporation of visual supports and collaboration with occupational therapists to foster desensitisation and emotional regulation. Written appointment reminders, tailored oral hygiene education for families and targeted professional development for dental teams are critical to reducing oral health inequalities. A deeper understanding of individual profiles and evidence-based behavioural approaches promises to enhance both preventive and restorative care for autistic children, adolescents and adults globally.

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Dental Care Access and Oral Health for Autism Spectrum Disorder publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dental care access and oral health for autism spectrum disorder across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL): A measure of how oral conditions affect daily functioning, comfort and psychosocial well-being.

Sensory sensitivities: Heightened or diminished responses to sensory stimuli (sound, light, touch) common in autistic individuals.

Desensitisation: A behavioural technique involving gradual exposure to feared stimuli to reduce anxiety and improve tolerance.

Visual supports: Pictorial or written guides used to prepare and orient individuals to steps of a procedure or routine.

References

1. Autism spectrum disorders. Annals of Saudi Medicine (2010).
2. Dental caries experience, oral health status and treatment needs of dental patients with autism. Journal of Applied Oral Science (2011).
3. Management of children with autism spectrum disorder in the dental setting: Concerns, behavioural approaches and recommendations. Medicina Oral Patología Oral y Cirugia Bucal (2013).
4. Oral Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Unique Collaboration between Dentistry and Occupational Therapy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020).
5. Physiological and Behavioral Stress and Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders during Routine Oral Care. BioMed Research International (2014).
6. Dental care protocol based on visual supports for children with autism spectrum disorders. Medicina Oral Patología Oral y Cirugia Bucal (2015).
7. Parental Perception of the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
8. Factors influencing oral health behaviours, access and delivery of dental care for autistic children and adolescents: A mixed‐methods systematic review. Health Expectations (2022).