Affiliation:
1. Department of Orthodontics, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
2. Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
3. Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, School of Dental Medicine/Medical Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
4. Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia Jakarta Indonesia
5. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Special Dental Care and Orthodontics Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face unique challenges in oral care. Aligner therapy offers a promising alternative to conventional approaches for this patient group.AimTo evaluate orthodontic aligner therapy outcomes in children with ASD using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) Index and the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need (ICON), and to investigate whether concomitant disorders affect ICON, PAR scores, and treatment duration.DesignTwo calibrated observers assessed digital dental casts and intraoral pictures of 37 children with ASD before (T0) and after (T1) their treatment. At T0, the participants' average age was 12.9 years (SD = 1.68); at T1, post‐therapy, the average age was 14.9 years (SD = 1.51). All participants underwent orthodontic aligner therapy. Statistical methods employed in this study included descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon tests, and univariate linear regression.ResultsPosttreatment, median ICON scores decreased significantly from 74 to 14, and median PAR scores from 36 to 8 (p < .0001), demonstrating “excellent to substantial” improvement in 89.2% (n = 33) of the children. Comorbidities, present in 62% of patients, did not significantly affect treatment duration (22.6 ± 11.02 months).ConclusionChildren with ASD significantly benefit from orthodontic aligner therapy, emphasizing the need for tailored orthodontic care.