Children With Autism Have Fewer Cavities

Young people with autism and related disorders are less likely than other children to get cavities, a study has found. But more of these children don't cooperate at the dentist's office.

Dentists from Tufts University, Boston University, and Calgary, Alberta, did the study. They enrolled 781 children and young adults. All of them made regular visits to the dental department of Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston.

Of the young people in the study, 395 had an autism spectrum disorder. ASD is a group of disorders of the brain. People with ASD have problems with communicating and social interaction. ASD includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, or PDD-NOS.

Of the young people with ASD, 78.5% had autism, 19.5% had PDD-NOS, and 2% had Asperger's syndrome. All three groups had about the same rate of cavities.

About 82% of the ASD patients were boys. ASD patients tended to be older than other patients. Their median age was 12, compared with 8 for people without ASD. The authors note that many ASD children are encouraged to keep coming to the children's hospital as adults because they have become comfortable there. Routine can make visits easier.

ASD patients under age 6 were 83% less likely to have had cavities than other children of the same age. Those ages 6 to 17 were about 66% less likely to have had cavities.

The researchers also rated behavior during the dental visit. In the ASD group, 55% of children were uncooperative, compared with 25% of the other children. About 9% of the ASD children and 47% of other children were very cooperative.

About 38% of children with ASD needed general anesthesia to have dental treatment done, compared with 30% of the other children.

Of the young people with ASD, 78.5% had autism, 19.5% had PDD-NOS, and 2% had Asperger's syndrome. All three groups had about the same rate of cavities.

Several other factors also did not make any difference in cavity rates for people with ASD. They included:

• Taking medicine for ASD
• Being in an institution
• Having a seizure disorder
• Having another condition, such as cerebral palsy

Other studies have found that children with autism have either fewer cavities than other children or about the same number.

Other researchers have suggested that children with ASD have less decay because they are less likely to favor sweet foods and snack between meals. Some have suggested that good home care by a parent or caregiver helps prevent decay.

Many children with autism are extremely selective about what they eat. They may like foods with only a certain texture, or only salty foods, for example. A 2007 study of 87 autistic children found that their favorite foods included chicken nuggets, French fries, bananas, candy and green beans.


November 12, 2008

by Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service