European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry最新文献

{"title":"Single-tooth-based dental age estimation in children: a modified Demirjian and Nolla approach using first permanent molars.","authors":"S Emiroğlu, F Yuce, B Yılmaz","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01300-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01300-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the chronological age and developmental stages of permanent first molars in Turkish children under 12 years of age using panoramic radiographs and to compare the accuracy and consistency of the Demirjian and Nolla methods.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Panoramic radiographs of 1174 children (609 females, 51.9%; 565 males, 48.1%) aged between 5.0 and 12 years were retrospectively analysed from the archives of Istanbul Kent University, Faculty of Dentistry. Permanent first molars were evaluated using modified Demirjian (A-H) and Nolla (0-10) developmental staging approaches. Data were analysed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon tests, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean chronological age was 8.67 ± 2.04 years. Dental age estimated by the Demirjian method was significantly lower than chronological age (p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 1.91 ± 1.08 years for tooth 16 and 1.80 ± 1.15 years for tooth 36. The Nolla method also underestimated chronological age, but by a smaller difference (0.73 ± 1.10 years; p < 0.05). Both methods showed high consistency ICC values (Demirjian: 0.918-0.933; Nolla: 0.924-0.934). The direction of the sex difference depended on the conversion applied: girls appeared slightly more advanced by the Demirjian estimate, whereas boys did by the Nolla estimate, rather than reflecting a single consistent biological pattern.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both methods demonstrated strong correlations between dental and chronological ages. However, whilst the Demirjian method tended to underestimate age, the Nolla method provided estimates closer to chronological age. Therefore, the Nolla method appears to be more suitable for dental age estimation in Turkish children.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149217985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating professional oral care for autistic children: a qualitative study with parents.","authors":"C C K Chan, B L Tan, H J Tong, P P Y Lam","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01297-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01297-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Despite growing recognition of inclusion health, autistic children continue to face inequities in accessing dental care. This qualitative study explored how a sample of parents in Hong Kong navigated professional oral care for their autistic children to better understand the perceived barriers and facilitators to dental visits and treatment, as well as strategies and adaptations that support successful dental care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Parents or caregivers of autistic children (≤ 18 years) were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling via parent groups, non‑governmental organisations and special schools. Data were collected through one-to-one, semi-structured in-depth interviews. Coding was undertaken by two researchers and refined through iterative team discussions to develop an inductive thematic framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-three parents of autistic children aged between 3 and 14 participated. Four themes were identified: (1) accessing dental care-barriers included difficulty finding willing and experienced dentists, high costs, fragmentation between dental and medical services, low prioritisation of oral health and fear of unsuccessful visits; (2) experiences at the dental visit-characterised by sensory overload, need for predictability, and significant emotional burden; (3) what parents value in dental visits-empathetic, flexible staff, sensory‑adapted environments, and partnership‑based communication; and (4) strategies to manage dental visits-pre-visit preparation, graded exposure, and inter-disciplinary collaboration with teachers and parent support groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings highlight the need for ASD‑specific training for the dental team, better integration of oral health into mainstream child services, clearer signposting of appropriate providers and schemes, and strengthened collaboration with families and schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149208448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nutritional status and its association with early childhood caries in Peruvian pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"R P López-Ramos, E Vidigal, B R Jimenez-Hualpa, L Cabrera, M Saito, R H Gilman, M J Pajuelo","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01295-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01295-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the association between nutritional status, assessed through multiple anthropometric indicators, and early childhood caries (ECC) in Peruvian preschoolers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 204 children aged 3-5 years enrolled in a birth cohort. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric indicators from the World Health Organisation; data from the first 2 years of life were retrieved from the original birth cohort records, whilst subsequent assessments were conducted at the time of the study. ECC was assessed using the simplified International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). A questionnaire was administered to mothers/caregivers regarding factors associated with ECC. Owing to COVID-19-related restrictions, data collection was carried out in two stages, 17 months apart, extending the originally planned data-collection period. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to examine the associations between ECC and nutritional status, adjusting for confounding variables. Effect modification by COVID-19-related assessment period was assessed by including an interaction term in the Poisson model, with a Mantel-Haenszel stratified analysis as a sensitivity check.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ECC prevalence was 6.6% lower for each one-unit increase in BMI-for-age z score (95% CI: 0.1%, 12.8%). Poor oral hygiene (PR: 3.592; 95% CI: 1.889, 6.829) and frequent sweet consumption (PR: 1.200; 95% CI: 1.001, 1.439) were associated with ECC. There was no evidence of effect modification by assessment period.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>An association was observed between BMI-for-age and ECC, with a lower prevalence of ECC amongst children with higher BMI-for-age values. These findings highlight the complex relationship between nutritional status and oral health in preschool children.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149130162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Timing of extraction of compromised first permanent molars and spontaneous space closure without adjunctive orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"L Peyrichon, E Boyer, S B Fong, J-L Sixou, K Nordeen, S Patel, V Meuric","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01294-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01294-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Demirjian stage E of the second permanent molar (SPM) is widely regarded as the optimal timing for extracting a compromised first permanent molar (FPM) to maximize spontaneous space closure. In pediatric practice, however, delaying extraction until this narrow developmental window is often impractical. This review assessed whether earlier extraction reduces the likelihood of spontaneous space closure without adjunctive orthodontic treatment and identified predictors of successful closure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Six databases were searched for studies published from 1990 to March 2026, with additional screening of reference lists and grey literature. Eligible studies included patients aged 6-18 years undergoing extraction of compromised FPMs, with assessment of spontaneous space closure without adjunctive orthodontic treatment. Two investigators independently screened studies and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled for prespecified comparisons. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024500895).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nineteen studies involving 950 patients and 2,101 extracted FPMs were included. Spontaneous space closure was more frequent in the maxilla than in the mandible (86.3% vs 51.6%), with greater odds of success after maxillary extraction (OR 5.23; 95% CI 3.24-8.45; I² = 63%). In the mandible, extraction before age 10, third molar presence, and mesial SPM angulation were associated with higher odds of closure. Stage E alone did not consistently outperform stages D or F, whereas grouped windows (D, E and D-F) showed better outcomes than later stages.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Favorable timing for FPM extraction may extend beyond stage E alone. Earlier extraction, particularly before age 10 and within stages D-F, appears compatible with spontaneous space closure.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149122737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Severity of malocclusion and its association with caries risk level in the primary dentition: a single-centre cross-sectional survey.","authors":"M Alrashdi","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01292-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01292-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Dental caries and malocclusion are prevalent in children and frequently coexist. Whether malocclusion severity is independently associated with elevated caries risk, remains poorly characterised, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The aim was to examine whether malocclusion severity in the primary dentition is independently associated with caries risk level in Saudi preschool children.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A single-centre cross-sectional survey was conducted at Qassim University, enrolling 250 Saudi children aged 3-6 years with complete primary dentitions. Malocclusion severity was graded using a five-point Malocclusion Severity Index (MSI; grades 0-4). Caries risk was classified as Low, Moderate, or High using the AAPD 2023 Caries Risk Assessment tool. Secondary outcomes were dmft/dmfs, ICDAS-II lesion staging, and the modified plaque (mPI) and gingival (mGI) indices. Regression models adjusted for sugar exposure, fluoride toothpaste use, caregiver caries and household income.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 250 children, 109 (43.6%) had high caries risk and 222 (88.8%) had early childhood caries (mean dmft 4.6 ± 2.8). Moderate-to-severe malocclusion (MSI ≥ 3) was present in 97 (38.8%). A significant monotonic relationship was observed across MSI grades (Jonckheere-Terpstra z = 8.34, p < 0.001). MSI was the strongest independent correlate of High CRA (aOR: 3.94, 95%CI: 2.16, 7.19, p < 0.001) and dmft count (adjusted IRR: 1.48 per unit, p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Malocclusion severity in the primary dentition was independently associated with caries risk level.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149122774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of oral health-related behaviours in children's programmes on a streaming platform.","authors":"M E R Faria, D K Dos Santos Oliveira, J de Brito Meneghetti Duarte, J P de Sousa, R A S de Sá Rocha, F de Sousa Queiroz Feitosa, A F Granville-Garcia, R T Firmino","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01272-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-026-01272-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the representation of oral health in children's programmes available on a streaming platform.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An infodemiological and observational study was conducted in December 2024 in Brazil, including the 30 most-viewed children's programmes in the Netflix catalogue available in Brazil. All scenes containing verbal or visual mentions of the dentist, oral hygiene practices, or risk behaviours related to oral health were included. Two calibrated researchers (Kappa > 0.80) collected variables related to context, characters, behaviours, and scene duration. Data were analysed descriptively and using chi-square test for linear trend and Mann-Whitney test (α = 5%).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>70% of the programmes featured oral health-related behaviours, of which 84.8% were risk behaviours exclusively associated with sugar consumption. Most scenes combined visual and verbal elements (73.9%), displayed positive valence (72%), and were performed by good (93.5%) and predominantly human (56.2%) characters. Facial expressions were predominantly cheerful, both amongst characters (70.5%) and dentists (85.7%). Patient behaviour was cooperative in 85.7% of the scenes. A significant association was found between character nature and positive valence (p = 0.009).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The analysed children's programmes predominantly portrayed oral health risk behaviours, especially sugar consumption, often associated with positive characters. Thus, stricter interventions and regulations are needed to protect children from harmful exposure across entertainment platforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149122753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Salivary biomarkers and their association with dental caries and oral health status in children with β-thalassaemia: a case-control study.","authors":"Rutika Rajkumar Gawand, Neeta Padmawar, Viddyasagar Mopagar, Chetan Patil, Sakshi Prashant Dumbre, Anushka Pawar","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01225-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40368-026-01225-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study compared oral health status, dental caries, and salivary biomarkers (flow rate, pH, sialic acid, and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) in children with β-thalassaemia and healthy controls and examined their associations and predictive value for caries risk.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This analytical case-control study involved 80 children aged 5-12 years (40 with β-thalassaemia major and 40 age- and sex-matched controls). The unstimulated saliva was analysed for flow rate, pH, sialic acid (acidic ninhydrin method), and TAC (phosphomolybdenum method). Clinical indices included DMFT/dmft, gingival bleeding, periodontal scores, and probing depths. Statistical analyses included t-tests/Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman correlations, multivariable logistic regression, and ROC curves (SPSS v26.0; p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thalassaemic children had significantly higher DMFT/dmft (median 4.5 vs. 2, p < 0.001), worse periodontal health, reduced flow rate (0.68 ± 0.26 vs. 1.7 ± 0.43 mL/min), lower pH (6.47 ± 0.17 vs. 7.21 ± 0.54), elevated sialic acid (51.23 ± 12.38 vs. 20.97 ± 3.48 μg/mL), and lower TAC (303.32 ± 88.36 vs. 888.33 ± 319.16 μmol/L; all p < 0.001). Biomarker-DMFT correlations were present in controls but absent in the thalassaemia group. Multivariable regression showed that elevated sialic acid level was the strongest predictor of high caries risk (DMFT/dmft > 3; OR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.45, 4.32, p = 0.001), whilst higher flow rate, pH, and TAC were protective.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>β-Thalassaemia major is linked to poor oral health and disrupted salivary profiles due to iron overload and oxidative stress. Salivary sialic acid and TAC have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for caries risk assessment, advocating for the integration of preventive dental care within multidisciplinary management.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":"1463-1470"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148008505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving oral health communication in paediatric dentistry using intraoral scanners: a multicentre pilot study.","authors":"S Schick, M A Schlenz, N Schulz-Weidner, C Frese, A Pelkonen, T Tanner","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01212-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40368-026-01212-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This multicentre pilot study examined whether intraoral scanners (IOS) enhance oral health competence in paediatric patients and their caregivers compared with conventional verbal oral health instructions (OHI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty children aged 6-14 years and their caregivers from three European university centres were randomly assigned to a control group (verbal OHI) or an intervention group (verbal OHI + IOS visualisation). Children were stratified into age groups: (6-8, 9-11, 12-14 years). Calibrated dentists performed standardised examinations and delivered OHI. In the intervention arm, an IOS scan was obtained and the 3D model was used to explain individual clinical findings. Comprehension of clinical findings was assessed after the consultation using age-adapted questionnaires. Children in the intervention group additionally rated their IOS experience using a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100%). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Children in the intervention group achieved higher comprehension scores (4.40 ± 1.61 vs. 3.33 ± 1.81; p = 0.019). Caregivers also scored higher in the intervention group (5.03 ± 1.25 vs. 4.10 ± 1.37; p = 0.008). Benefits were greatest in children aged 6-11 years. VAS ratings indicated acceptance: scanning was perceived as \"fun\" (83.8%), \"informative\" (81.3%) and \"enjoyable to watch\" (88.6%). Tip size was rated appropriate (68.7%), whilst agreement with \"boring\" (25.9%) and \"painful\" (24.1%) was low. The dentist's explanation was rated as clear (94.8%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>IOS improved communication and understanding of oral health findings in paediatric dentistry, particularly amongst younger children and their caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":"1413-1424"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13593785/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147795376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cleft team strategy and caries experience in patients with a cleft lip and/or palate, a multicentre study.","authors":"L S van der Knaap-Kind, Gisselle Carbajal Rodriguez, M A Schorer-Jensma, E B Wolvius, L Kragt, N C W van der Kaaij","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01226-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40368-026-01226-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Most cleft teams in The Netherlands have a paediatric dentist as a permanent team member, but differences persist in patients receiving general or specialised dental care in-between team visits. The current study aims to find out if different strategies regarding dental care result in different caries experience and restorative care levels of cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The cleft team of the Amsterdam University Medical Center, presented as Team Spec, refers all CL/P patients at age one to specialised dental care. The majority of CL/P patients treated in the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, receive dental care from a general dentist, Team Gen. Data on decayed teeth (dt), missing teeth (mt), filled teeth (ft), sum dmft and restorative care level for the primary dentition of CL/P patients were compared with independent t-tests. Negative binomial hurdle regression and generalised linear models were used to correct for age, gender and cleft type. No comparison of the costs of both strategies was made.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The restorative care level of Team Spec (51.50%) was significantly better than Team Gen (29.31%) (p < 0.001). Though sum dmft of both teams was comparable (p = 0.32), patients in Team Spec had fewer missing teeth due to caries (p = 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Receiving specialised dental care is beneficial for the restorative care level of CL/P patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":"1471-1477"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13593653/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148153138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating toothbrushing challenges for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study.","authors":"I Wan Mokhtar, A N B Abd Jalil, A N Amirulhusni Alshukor, M S Ahmad, N A Jusoh Mohd Zaki, A F Omar","doi":"10.1007/s40368-026-01245-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40368-026-01245-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to identify the challenges caregivers encounter in providing effective toothbrushing for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to propose caregiver-reported strategies for an optimal toothbrushing routine.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study utilized focus group discussions (FGD) with primary caregivers of students from an early intervention program in Selangor, Malaysia. A semi-structured interview guide was designed to identify the challenges faced by caregivers in delivering toothbrushing for their children with ASD. Data were obtained from eight sessions of focus group discussions, and verbatim transcripts were analyzed thematically via an inductive and deductive approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 26 caregivers attended the FGDs, the majority of whom were Malay mothers aged between 30 and 39 years and degree holders. The FGDs identified four themes. The themes are behavioral, physical, and functional-related challenges, which include insufficient manual dexterity and poor comprehension of toothbrushing techniques. The next themes were sensory challenges, characterized by oral hypersensitivity; routine-related challenges, which include inconsistent brushing routines and habit development; and caregiver-related factors, which include care burden and limited understanding of oral care challenges. To facilitate success, three core strategies were identified, which were modeling through siblings or videos, structured parental supervision, and the use of toothbrushing motivators such as music or specialized digital applications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Formulating a home oral care routine for children with ASD is complex due to the variability between the child's unique behaviors, sensory and hygiene necessities, and caregiver-related burden. Success requires early and persistent planning, modeling, and motivators.</p>","PeriodicalId":520615,"journal":{"name":"European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry","volume":" ","pages":"1605-1618"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148407873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}