Autism & Dental Issues

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post about autism and trips to the dentist, this week I’d like to talk about the dental issues that can be associated with autism.

Not more comorbidities Aoife?

Yep afraid so!

High percentages of autists face more dental issues than their neurotypical peers. 60-80% of autists will have cavities (20% higher rate than neurotypicals) with up to 82% of those experiencing tooth decay from lack of treatment. In addition, more than 78% of autists will experience gingivitis (a mild form of gum disease) and are more likely to engage in bruxism (aka teeth clenching and grinding).

So what’s the link?

These dental issues are largely influenced by lifestyle and sensory issues:

• Autists tend to have restrictive diets preferring soft, sweet and sticky foods which can cause cavities
• Mouth sensitivity can heavily influence dental hygiene behaviours. The taste of toothpaste, the burn of mouthwash, the sensation of brushing and flossing, not to mention routine dental work can all be overwhelming. When oral hygiene is poor, dental health naturally suffers
  • Side note- I had the opposite of this issue as I had a pica tendency towards eating toothpaste as a child 🙃
• Poor motor coordination can also have an impact on dental health as brushing and flossing require fine motor skills that some autists may have issues with
• Oral stimming behaviours like teeth grinding (for deep sensory pressure), tongue thrust, chewing or sucking on items can cause dental damage
• Mouth breathing is also a common autistic behaviour which can negatively impact oral health. Autists tend to exhibit this behaviour for sensory reasons (like not liking the feeling of breathing through your nose), low muscle tone, and allergies
• Lack of access to sensory friendly dental care can also be a challenge leading to untreated dental health issues

Whilst these issues are associated with lifestyle and sensory challenges, there are also a number of physiological dental issues linked to autism and connective tissue disorders. As we discussed previously, autists are up to 7 times more likely to have hypermobility or a connective tissue disorder (like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)) compared to neurotypicals. Connective tissues like collagen give structure to your gums, teeth, and bones, so if there is a tissue disorder, you may experience the following:

• A narrow palate (aka the roof of your mouth) where your jaw grows up instead of out. This reduces oral space which can cause tooth crowding
• Tongue tie (ankyloglossia)
• Fragile teeth and gums
• Missing permanent teeth (hypodontia)
• A rare tooth shape called talon’s cusp where the tooth has an extra horn at the back or front of tooth (don’t look it up, I’m traumatized!)
• Peg shaped teeth that are smaller and more cone shaped than other teeth
• Jaw issues like clicking and dislocations caused by hypermobile joints
• Anesthesia resistance where weakened structures can cause anesthesia to wear off more quickly (I have sadly been on the receiving end of this mid-filling 😬)

Whilst we can’t prevent the physiological dental issues, there are sensory friendly aids to promote good dental hygiene like flavourless toothpaste and silicone toothbrushes which may help prevent some of the dental issues associated with autism 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife