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.