Plymouth youth autism dental project

A study about oral health care for autistic children and young people
Plymouth youth autism dental project logo
 

Why we are doing this research?


Children’s oral health is important.
Children who have toothache or who need treatment may have pain, infection and difficulty with eating, sleeping, socialising and going to school.
Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable, but it still remains a serious problem in the UK.
Studies show that autistic children and young people have a high risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease.
This may be due to a number of reasons such as diet, the effect of some medications, and difficulties with brushing their teeth.
It may also be due to a lack of access to the appropriate dental services to meet their needs.
There have been studies about oral health care for autistic children and young people but few of them have spoken to the children or young people themselves.
In this study we will speak to autistic children and young people, their parents/carers and dental professionals.
By speaking to all three groups we will find out what influences the oral health care of autistic children and young people so we can better meet their needs.
Plymouth youth autism dental project - hand drawn poster
Image credit: Callista, 4 Me & My Friends Youth Club

What have we done so far?

  • We have carried out a review of the existing evidence on the factors influencing autistic children and young people’s oral health and access to dental care.
  • We have interviewed nineteen autistic children and young people, twenty parents/carers and sixteen dental health professionals. We asked them their views and experience in relation to oral health, accessing dental care and providing dental care.
  • We worked with autistic children and young people to create a video about oral health and visiting the dentist.

What have we learnt?

Explore our research summaries which share our findings

What’s next?

We will shortly be launching a nationwide survey for autistic young people, parents/carers and dental health providers. This will explore the issues raised in the interviews and provide an opportunity to share your views and experiences in relation to oral health, accessing and providing dental care.
 

About the research

Who is doing the research?

The research is being led by a team of dental, public health and child health professionals and academics from the University of Plymouth, the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospital. They are working together with an advisory group of autistic children, young people and their families and other members of the wider autistic community in Plymouth.

What we are researching?

In this project we are looking at the factors that influence autistic children and young people’s oral health care and their ability to access dental care.

What will we do with the results?

The research will inform the development of dental care services for autistic children and young people in Plymouth, initially through the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise. We will share the findings with national dental organisations to inform the development of inclusive dental services elsewhere, and further improve the provision of dental care for autistic children and young people in the southwest and beyond.

What does the study involve?

We will be interviewing 20-25 autistic children and young people and 20-25 parents/carers of autistic children/young people. In these interviews we will explore their views on and experiences of oral health and dental care. We will also be speaking to 20-25 dental health professionals to discuss and explore with them the factors that influence the provision of oral health support and dental care to autistic children and young people. We will explore our emerging ideas with autistic children and young people at creative workshops with local special schools and youth clubs.

Who are we funded by?

The project is funded by a grant from the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise.

Project Advisory Group

The research is guided by the project advisory group which has a wide range of expertise and experience. Members of the group include autistic children and young people and their parents/guardians. The artist Louise (Red) Peters (www.red-louise.art) is supporting the project in the use of creative approaches to our research.

How to get involved
We are no longer recruiting for interviews but please do share your views through our survey which will be launched soon.

 
 

The team

University of Plymouth researchers

 
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