History of pain and dental care in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the Covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of caregivers

ABSTRACT Objective: Assess the history of pain and dental care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the resolution of the dental problems in individuals with ASD from the perspective of caregivers. Methods: Caregivers from three associations of individuals with ASD in the state of Rio...

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Main Authors: Priscila Siqueira Ribeiro de Souza (Author), Muriel Denisse Rivera López (Author), Marina Sousa Azevedo (Author), José Ricardo Sousa Costa (Author), Lisandrea Rocha Schardosim (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic, 2024-10-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:ABSTRACT Objective: Assess the history of pain and dental care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the resolution of the dental problems in individuals with ASD from the perspective of caregivers. Methods: Caregivers from three associations of individuals with ASD in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were invited to answer an online questionnaire. They answered questions distributed into three sections: I) identification data of the patient with ASD and his caregiver; II) perception of dental access before the pandemic (until March/2020) and III) perception of dental access during the pandemic (March/2020 until 2022). Data were tabulated into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 473 caregivers for individuals with ASD in the contacted groups, 72 (15.2%) responded to the survey and were included in this study. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with ASD had experienced dental pain (23.7%). Twelve of these (70.6%) allowed dental care, according to the caregivers' reports. Regarding the experience of pain during the pandemic, 20 individuals with ASD (27.8%) felt pain, and 17 of them had also experienced pain before the pandemic. Conclusion: The difficulty of dental access faced by families and individuals with ASD is a reality, and the persistence of dental pain history was similar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The preference for services in the public sector prevailed; however, the majority did not find a resolution to their issues, emphasizing the need for improvements in oral health care for this population.
Item Description:1981-8637
10.1590/1981-86372024003020240020