[Dental care in autism]

The syndrome of autism is not characterized by typical orofacial features. Regarding caries experience, no differences with the normal population are found. The dental health situation on the other hand, depends upon the care devoted to oral hygiene and when necessary, upon the auxiliary help of parents and educators. As far as dental care is concerned, the autistic patient is inherently unresponsive to demonstrations, resists eye-to-eye contact and will frequently resist any effort to establish personal contacts with the dental personnel. Patient management will therefore be qualitatively different from person to person and shall be based on a unique management of the behavioral characteristics. Where the classical 'tell, show, do"-method fails, the 'tell, show, FEEL, do"-method will lead to a successful approach.