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Spotlight: Brushing up on dental lessons from India
Practicing good oral hygiene is a straightforward process for many. However, for children on the autism spectrum and their caregivers, it can be a challenging aspect of any morning or evening routine. In the United States, about 1 in 36 U.S. children has autism, prompting some in the dental field to raise awareness about good dental hygiene practices within the autism community.
Dr. Lakshmi Moorthy, a pediatric dentist from Mumbai, India, and a student at the Bloomberg School, is studying to get her master’s degree in public health. With experience as a pediatric dentist at a private practice, Dr. Moorthy has conducted research evaluating the dietary habits and oral health of children with autism. This culminated in the publication of her study Dietary Sugar Exposure and Oral Health Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case-control Study.
The study was done in Mumbai, focusing on 136 children with autism and 136 children without autism. Dr. Moorthy and the team gathered information from parents on socio-demographics, diet-related behavior, oral habits, and dental trauma. Here are some insights from Dr. Moorthy:
Dr. Moorthy recorded several key aspects of oral hygiene practices. She noted that children with autism generally had better oral hygiene practices, such as brushing their teeth twice a day, often with help from parents. This is an interesting finding, because the same study found that oral hygiene behavior, including willingness to brush and gagging while brushing, was more of a challenge for children with autism.
Researchers found that another challenge was food selectivity in that group. Parents found it difficult to introduce new foods to their children. The study “was based on a 24-hour diet recall. So, the parents would tell me what their child ate in the previous day. Based on that, we found that they are picky and fussy eaters. So, there is a lot of food sensitivity and preferences,” she said. “But, somehow, we also noticed that the children with ASD did not have a lot of preference for sweet foods. [Also,] there was no statistically significant difference in cavities between children with ASD and the neurotypical population.”
This is an interesting finding, as in the same study, Dr. Moorthy found that oral hygiene behavior, including willingness to brush and gagging while brushing, was more of a challenge for children with autism.
Researchers found that another challenge was food selectivity in that group. Parents found it difficult to introduce new foods to their children.
Dr. Moorthy noted that while the families that she interacted with during her research were not too different from the average family in Mumbai, “the families of children with special needs were [especially] eager and keen to learn more about preventive measures to help protect their child’s oral health.”
Dr. Moorthy’s research and general experience has led to her realizing the gaps in the health system, especially when it comes to access to care. This awareness led her to pursue an MPH, so that she can assist in creating a broader impact beyond clinical work.
“My biggest takeaway is to be a bigger advocate for more preventive therapies,” she said. “Having interacted with so many children with special healthcare needs, I feel that oral health shouldn’t be on of their concerns as they cope with other medical complexities.”
Moorthy, L., Dixit, U. B., Kole, R. C., & Gajre, M. P. (2022). Dietary Sugar Exposure and Oral Health Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case-control Study. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 52(6), 2523–2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05151-0
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