Autism Spectrum Disorders-A Review on the Recent Advances in the Dental Management of Autistic Children

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others. It is a neurological disorder, which means it affects the functioning of the brain. (American psychiatric association). ASD presents challenges for patient, caregiver/parent and dental team. Major concerns in providing dental care include behavioral management and side effects of medications. But majority of the time the treatment imparted to these children are partial or compromised due to difficulties in behavior management. It is an undeniable fact that the disabled populations usually have higher prevalence of poor oral hygiene, dental caries and compromised periodontal health than the otherwise healthy population. Oral health of children with special health care needs has been one of grey areas in the field of dentistry. To provide satisfactory dental care to ASD patients, dental practitioners should familiarize themselves with the current management techniques and techniques that are acceptable to parents and guardians. The aim of this paper is to review on diagnosis of ASD for dentist and behavior management techniques for ASD with emphasis on recent modifications in behavior management technique for these children.