Three- to 21-year-old patients with autism spectrum disorders: parents' perceptions of severity of symptoms, oral health, and oral health-related behavior.

PURPOSE The purpose was to explore the relationship between the level of functioning (listening/talking/reading/daily self-care/care at home/social skills) of three to 21-year-old patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their oral health and oral health-related behavior (brushing, flossing, dental visits). METHODS Survey data were collected from 85 parents of ASD patients. Patients' level of functioning was determined with a short version of the Survey Interview Form of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (2nd edition). RESULTS The patients ranged from very low to high levels of functioning. Oral health correlated with the ability to: listen (r=.53; P<.001); talk (r=.40; P<.001); read (r=.30; P<.01); engage in daily self-care (r=.36; P<.001); engage in care at home (r=.44; P<.001); and demonstrate social skills (r=.36; P<.001). The parents' comfort levels concerning brushing and flossing their children's teeth and taking their children to the dentist varied considerably and correlated with children's level of functioning. Frequency of tooth-brushing correlated with listening skills (r=31; P<.01); the frequency of flossing correlated with the ability to talk (r=.31; P<.01). CONCLUSIONS Understanding the relationships between level of functioning of children with ASDs and their oral health and oral health-related behavior could increase dentists' ability to provide the best possible care for these patients.