Autism and Paediatric Dentistry: A Scoping Review

The objectives of this scoping review were: first, to pose a research question; second, to identify relevant studies to answer the research question; third, to select and retrieve the studies; fourth, to chart the critical data; and finally, to collate, summarise, and report the results from selected articles on the dental management of children affected with autism.

Relevant articles (randomised controlled trials, reviews, observational studies, and clinical case reports) published over an 11-year period were identified and retrieved from five internet databases: PubMed, Embase/Ovid, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and EBSCO.

By title and abstract screening and after removing duplicates, 25 articles were finally included in the present scoping review. According to the extracted data, the following four clinical issues were found to be most important: patient behavioural control, prevalence/incidence of dental caries, adverse effects and interactions with medications, and orthodontic management. Additionally, several useful clinical recommendations are provided.

Paediatric dentists should bear in mind that early diagnosis and treatment, effective communication skills, and a long-term follow-up of children with autism continue to be the best approaches for achieving enhanced patient psychological well-being and consequently a better quality of life.