Oral Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Unique Collaboration between Dentistry and Occupational Therapy

Dominique H. Como, Leah I. Stein Duker, José C. Polido and Sharon A. Cermak
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Dominique H. Como: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Leah I. Stein Duker: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
José C. Polido: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Sharon A. Cermak: Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk for oral health disparities. With the dramatic rise in ASD prevalence to 1 in 54 children, it is likely that an increasing number of dental practitioners will encounter or be asked to treat children with ASD. This paper reviews explanations related to the increasing prevalence of ASD, provides reasons why children with ASD are at increased risk for poor oral health, and discusses unique interprofessional collaborations between dental practitioners and occupational therapists. Occupational therapists and dentists can work together to plan modifications to the dental environment or adapt dental protocols to reduce some of the barriers encountered by those with ASD, provide desensitization strategies before the clinic visit, or help a child with emotional regulation during clinical treatments.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; dentistry; interprofessional collaboration; occupational therapy; oral health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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