ArticleCureus2025
Dental Caries and Autism: An Assessment of Prevalence and Risk Factors in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors, which significantly impact oral health due to difficulties in maintaining oral hygiene. Understanding the prevalence of dental caries in children with ASD can guide healthcare providers in implementing better oral care practices and preventive strategies. This study investigates the prevalence of dental caries among children with ASD in Arar, Saudi Arabia.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the Maternal and Children Hospital in Arar, Saudi Arabia. The study included 44 children aged 4 to 17 years diagnosed with ASD by pediatricians or psychologists. A self-administered questionnaire collected data on demographics and oral hygiene behaviors, followed by oral examinations adhering to WHO criteria using the DMFT (Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth) and deft (decayed, extracted, filled, teeth) indices. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with statistical tests including chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, and binary logistic regression.
resultsAmong the 44 participants, 81.8% were male subjects and 18.2% were female subjects. Most of the sample consists of younger children in the primary dentition stage (54.5%), followed by those in the mixed dentition stage (29.5%). The prevalence of dental caries was 38.6%. Age was significantly associated with caries prevalence (p = 0.022), whereas gender, number of siblings, birth order, level of education, teeth brushing frequency, flossing frequency, type of primary health institution, frequency of dental visits, parents' education, and family income showed no significant association. The mean DMFT and deft scores were 0.64 ± 1.33 and 0.91 ± 1.78, respectively.
conclusionThe study revealed a high prevalence of dental caries among children with ASD in Arar, Saudi Arabia, with age being a significant factor. These findings highlight the need for targeted oral hygiene practices and regular dental visits for children with ASD to manage and prevent dental caries effectively. Further research is essential to develop preventive strategies and improve access to dental care for this vulnerable population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.