Dental caries experience and periodontal treatment needs of children with autistic spectrum disorder

Abstract

Aim: To assess dental caries experience and periodontal treatment needs among Libyan children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, comparative case–control study was used, in which dental caries experience of 50 children with ASD was compared with that of 50 controls. The children with ASD were recruited from Benghazi Centre of Children with ASD, Libya. Controls were recruited from school children and matched for age, gender and socioeconomic status. DMFT, dmft for dental caries experience and CPITN for periodontal treatment needs were calculated according to WHO criteria by a calibrated examiner. Scores for DMFT as well as CPITN indices were compared using bivariate analysis.Results: The data analysed for this study comprised observations from a group of children (cases = 50) diagnosed with ASD matched with healthy children (controls = 50). Consequently, each group consisted of 40 males and 10 females aged between 3 and 14 years (mean 7.29 ± 3.11). The ASD children showed significantly lower means for DMFT and dmft teeth as well as higher periodontal treatment needs (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Children with ASD were found to be more likely caries-free and have lower DMFT scores and higher unmet periodontal treatment needs than did the unaffected control children.