Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, London, UK.
Paediatric Dentistry, Royal National ENT & Eastman Dental Hospital, London, UK.
Spec Care Dentist. 2021 Jul;41(4):474-488. doi: 10.1111/scd.12583. Epub 2021 Mar 7.
Previous international research has shown that autistic people have difficulty accessing dental care due to sensory processing, anxiety and communication issues. However, it is not known whether autistic adults in the United Kingdom are experiencing similar dental care barriers. The current study investigated autistic adults' dental experiences in the United Kingdom.
A mixed methods survey was given to self-selecting autistic (n = 37) and non-autistic adults (n = 43) to compare whether autistic individuals had more negative experiences than non-autistic individuals. Closed questions asked about anxiety, patient-practitioner communication, satisfaction and the dental environment. Open questions asked about autism-specific dental challenges, what works well at the dentist, and improving autistic individuals' experiences. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, results demonstrated that autistic adults in the United Kingdom have more negative dental experiences than non-autistic adults. These predominantly related to interactions with dental practitioners, a challenging sensory environment, anxiety, pain, and disclosure. Participants recommended sensory environment adaptations, ways to increase preparedness, longer appointments, and individual accommodations.
This study offers best-practice strategies for working with autistic patients and highlights the importance of dentists working with autistic individuals to maximize the quality of care and outcomes for this underserved population.
先前的国际研究表明，由于感觉处理、焦虑和沟通问题，自闭症患者在获得牙科护理方面存在困难。然而，目前尚不清楚英国的自闭症成年人是否也面临类似的牙科护理障碍。本研究调查了英国自闭症成年人的牙科就诊经历。
本研究采用混合方法调查了自我选择的自闭症（n=37）和非自闭症成年人（n=43），以比较自闭症个体是否比非自闭症个体有更多的负面就诊经历。封闭问题询问了焦虑、医患沟通、满意度和牙科环境。开放问题询问了自闭症患者特有的牙科挑战、在牙医那里哪些方面做得好以及如何改善自闭症患者的就诊体验。使用主题分析对回复进行分析。总体而言，研究结果表明，英国的自闭症成年人的牙科就诊经历比非自闭症成年人更负面。这些问题主要与与牙科从业者的互动、具有挑战性的感官环境、焦虑、疼痛和披露有关。参与者建议进行感官环境调整、增加准备度的方法、延长预约时间和个性化的适应措施。
本研究为与自闭症患者合作提供了最佳实践策略，并强调了牙医与自闭症患者合作的重要性，以最大限度地提高这一未得到充分服务的人群的护理质量和结果。
