Special aspects of treatment and adaptation of children with autism spectrum disorder at a dental appointment (literature review)

Abstract

Relevance. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have poor self-care skills; they depend on sweet food, and their sensory integration is impaired. All of the above leads to poor oral hygiene. High rates of dental disease in these patients require searching for the most effective treatment and prevention methods. Special programs based on clinical manifestations and behaviour modification have been developed for children with ASD to adapt to dental appointments and oral hygiene education. In addition to traditional hygiene education, modern techniques, including electronic devices, are increasingly being introduced. Unfortunately, not all children can get used to dental manipulations, and the dentist has to resort to sedation or general anaesthes ia.Objective. To present up-to-date information about children's adaptation methods to dental appointments, prevention and treatment of oral diseases.Materials and methods. The literature analysis on the topic was the main study method. Publications were searched in the Medline PubMed and E-library databases by the keywords: 'treatment and prevention of diseases', 'children with ASD', 'adaptation' and 'hygiene education', according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.Results. The comprehensive approach to oral-disease treatment in children with ASD under general anaesthesia and sedation enables us to achieve excellent results with optimal comfort for both the patient and the pediatric dentist. The advantage of these methods is that the doctor can perform a larger volume of treatment and preventive measures during one visit.Conclusion. Children with autism need prevention and treatment of dental conditions. Available prevention programs need to be adapted to their disease and personality characteristics, using various methods of hygiene education.