Study: Sensory-Adapted Dental Environments

According to a recent press release from USC, an ongoing study aims to find adaptations suitable for the dental office to help create a more pleasant patient experience for children with autism.

The study is being funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and conducted by the USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy with the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

The idea behind the research stems from the notion that even patients without a behavioral disorder often have a difficult time dealing with anxiety when they’re in the dental chair. On that note, lead researcher Sharon Cermak suggests that children with autism can suffer a truly traumatic experience when they go in for dental appointments because of overstimulation from various sounds, scents, and bright lights.

Unfortunately most dental offices are not equipped to deal with such distressing experiences that tend to plague these patients. Most dentists resort to some form of sedation or physical restraints to manage children with autism for procedures, even simple oral cleanings.

Most children with autism tend to process stimulation differently than the typical developing child; this can lead to complete physical withdrawal and uncontrollable outbursts, making dental visits difficult for both the patient and dentist. It’s important to be aware of the prevalence of the behavioral disorder; in March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new estimate showing that 1 in 68 children in the US has some form of autism, an alarming jump from the previous estimate of 1 in 88 children.

Although the study won’t be completed until later this year, Cermak’s discoveries have been very positive so far. Even taking the simplest steps can drastically improve the dental experience for autistic patients, such as swapping fluorescent light bulbs for softer-colored ones, playing relaxing music, and using butterfly wraps to help ease their anxiety.