Dental Desensitization to Increase Comfort with Preventive Dental Visits for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a dental desensitization clinical program on the ability of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to complete a routine preventive dental visit. Methods: English-speaking children with a diagnosis of ASD were enrolled in a prospective cohort study as part of a dental desensitization program. A task analysis (TA) and desensitization plan breaking down a routine dental visit into seven steps was designed and implemented. At each dental visit over a two-year period, the child's comfort level with each step of the TA was collected. Results: Fifty-two patients participated in this program (average age equals 7.9±3.6 years, 80 percent male). Each participant completed, on average, 6.7 desensitization visits. Approximately half of the study participants were able to complete all steps of the TA during the study period. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between the number of desensitization visits and the number of steps of the dental visit the child could complete comfortably. Children with expressive and receptive language skills were more likely to complete all steps of the TA. Conclusion: Dental desensitization is a behavior guidance intervention that can support children with autism spectrum disorder to complete routine preventive dental visits.