Caries Prevalence in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this review is to present a qualitative synthesis of various studies concerning the presence of caries in people with ASD. METHODS AND RESULTS: A review of scientific articles was carried out by consulting the databases of Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane and SciELO libraries on December 1 and updated on January 15, 2024. Of the 21 comparative studies, only 12 reported prevalence figures for both ASD and non-ASD groups. Among them, seven studies found higher caries prevalence in individuals with ASD, while five reported higher prevalence in non-ASD populations, demonstrating inconsistency across the evidence. In the ASD-only studies, caries prevalence ranged widely, with several reporting values above 70%. Differences related to dentition were observed, with primary teeth generally showing higher caries prevalence than permanent teeth. Limited studies examined gender differences, but small variations were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence regarding dental caries prevalence in individuals with ASD is highly heterogeneous. Some studies suggest higher prevalence in autistic populations, while others report higher rates in non-ASD groups. Variations in dentition type, demographic characteristics, and methodological differences may contribute to these discrepancies. Further studies using uniform diagnostic criteria and robust designs are needed to clarify the relationship between ASD and caries prevalence.