Knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health care among parents of autism spectrum disorder children

Background: Parents, usually, are the primary decision makers on matters affecting their child’s overall health including oral health. Owing to the lack of cooperation, co-occurring disorders and its financial burden on parents, oral health is often neglected in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health care among parents of ASD children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an Autistic school for children, in North Bengaluru. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to 60 parents. Oral examination of the children was done to record gingival status using dichotomous scale and dentition status was recorded using decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT)/dmft indices. Descriptive analysis was performed. The dat