Qualitative study on barriers and coping strategies for dental care in autistic children: Parents' perspective.

This study asked 23 parents in Singapore about challenges getting dental care for their autistic children. Main problems included difficulty with toothbrushing at home, not knowing about the importance of early dental visits, worry about how their child would handle dental treatment, trouble finding dentists who understand autism, and concerns about costs. Parents wanted better information about finding the right dentist and help with costs for practice visits to help children get comfortable.

This qualitative study examined barriers to dental care for autistic children aged 3-12 years through interviews with 23 parents in Singapore. Key barriers identified included sensory and physical challenges with toothbrushing, use of non-optimal fluoride toothpaste, parental knowledge gaps about early dental care importance, apprehension about children's acceptance of dental treatment, lack of information about specialized dentists, and perceived high costs. Parents suggested improvements including understanding children's sensory profiles, better information about suitable dentists, and cost subsidization for multiple acclimatization visits. The study highlights the need for caregiver education, specialized dentist directories, and specific dental resources for autistic children.

Results support need for: parent education programs about oral care and early dental visits, sensory-adapted dental strategies, specialized provider directories, and funding models that support gradual acclimatization approaches for autistic children's dental care.

Small sample size from single country limits generalizability. Qualitative design cannot establish causation or prevalence. Parents' perspectives may not fully represent children's experiences. No comparison with typical population barriers.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face challenges in home oral care, accessing a dentist and accepting dental treatment. To determine the barriers to dental care for autistic children in Singapore through the experiences and opinions of their parents. A qualitative exploratory approach comprising semistructured interviews and a focus group discussion was used. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded into themes using NVivo 12 software.

Participants were 23 parents of autistic children aged 3-12 years. The following barriers were identified: (1) Sensory, physical and parental knowledge issues are related to toothbrushing difficulties and use of nonoptimally fluoridated toothpaste in autistic children. (2) Accessing dental services was hindered by a lack of parental knowledge on the importance of an early dental home, parental apprehension about the child's acceptance of dental care, lack of information on specialised dentists and perceived high cost of dental visits. Parental suggestions for improvements included understanding the child's sensory profile, more information on finding a suitable dentist and subsidisation of costs for multiple acclimatisation visits. Caregivers' education, information about specialised dentists and the availability of specific dental care resources for autistic children in Singapore are needed for optimising their dental care.