Brief report: At-home oral care experiences and challenges among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: The aims of this study were to investigate parental challenges, toward at-home oral healthcare of their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as parental experience in supervising teeth brushing. Method: 27-item questionnaires were completed by 142 mothers of children with ASD. The questionnaire addressed information on socio-demographics, at-home oral hygiene practice, medical history, and the habits of children with ASD. It also included parents' experiences with oral care at-home and what difficulties were encountered. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics, and several tests for statistical comparisons and associations were per formed. The significance level was set to be P < 0.05. Results: 16.9 % of children do not brush their teeth at all, 35.9 % brush less than once a day, 35.2 % brush once a day, and 12 % brush twice or more daily. Among the children who brush their teeth (n = 118), 21.2 % brush their teeth themselves, for 64.4 %, their mothers brush their teeth, and for 14.4 %, a family member does that. Regarding if the child allows brushing supervision, 10.2 % do not allow brushing supervision, 39 % sometimes allow, and 50.8 % allow brushing supervision. Results indicated that there is a significant positive association between brushing frequency and allowing brushing supervision (P < 0.001). No significant association between children's age, gender, or autism severity, and allowing brushing supervision. Conclusion: At-home dental care is challenging for children with ASD and their parents. Children with ASD showed improper oral hygiene practices and exhibited damaging oral habits, necessitating the urgent need for effective prevention programs, including parental education.