Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39907817›Full record

ArticleClinical oral investigations2025

Tooth brushing behavior and oral health care of people with early childhood autism in Germany.

H Kraus, A G Schulte, O Fricke, Peter Schmidt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical oral investigations, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Innovative oral hygiene strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder: a gamified app-based intervention.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

H KrausDepartment of Special Care Dentistry, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50, 58455, Witten, Germany.
A G SchulteDepartment of Special Care Dentistry, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50, 58455, Witten, Germany.
O FrickeFaculty of Health, Department of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen- Straße 50, 58455, Witten, Germany.
Peter SchmidtDepartment of Special Care Dentistry, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50, 58455, Witten, Germany. Peter.schmidt@uni-wh.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesOnly a little is known about the tooth brushing behaviors and oral health care of people with early childhood autism (P-EA). To remedy this, a survey was carried out with P-EA of all ages. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn summer 2021, an online survey questionnaire with 124 questions, addressed only at caregivers of P-EA, was sent to all members of the Bundesverband Autismus Deutschland e.V. Our present study evaluated the 20 survey questions related to dental self-care.

resultsIn total, 130 questionnaires were evaluated. The mean age of the P-EA was 22.7 years (min: 3y; max: 60y; SD ± 14.1y). Only 17.7% (n =23) of the P-EA were female, while 82.3%(n =107) were male. Overall, 54.6% (n = 71) of P-EA are always actively assisted in tooth brushing. Although 57.7% (n = 75) of P-EA brushed teeth twice daily, 39.2% brushed for one to two minutes (n = 51). P-EA younger than 18 years old selected toothpaste primarily for taste reasons (32.7%;n = 18). Only 9.3% (n = 7) of adult P-EA selected toothpaste because of the fluoride content. Manual toothbrushes were preferred by 40.8% (n = 53) of the P-EA, and electric toothbrushes by 34.6% (n = 45). Almost three quarters (71.5%;n = 93) did not use additional dental care implements. The same number (75.4%;n = 98) of P-EA had not practiced supervised brushing in a dental office. CONCLUSIONS/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Active support in dental self-care is crucial for a majority of the P-EA in Germany, regardless of their age. Professional support needs to be fundamentally improved. Clinical concepts for practical instruction in dental hygiene should be developed for P-EA.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderOral HealthOral HygieneToothbrushingAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedSelf CareSurveys and QuestionnairesToothpastesToothpastesAutism spectrum disordersDentistryMental healthOral healthSpecial care patients

Identifiers

PMID39907817
PMCPMC11799013

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.