The effect of culturally adapted oral hygiene dental visual aids on plaque removal in autistic children: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND

Culturally tailored visual aids are a vital educational resource for facilitating skill acquisition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a culturally adapted dental visual aid, developed by Aljubour, in enhancing the oral hygiene of children with ASD over a six-month follow-up period.

METHODOLOGY: A longitudinal, blinded, randomized, and controlled clinical trial was conducted over six months. Participants were allocated into two groups: Group I received the Aljubour culturally adapted dental visual aids, while Group II received conventional dental visual aids. Oral hygiene status was assessed using the Silness and Löe plaque index.

RESULTS

Although the reduction in mean plaque index following six months of using the culturally adapted visual aids was not statistically significant (P = 0.120), a significant difference was observed between the two study groups (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that children with ASD who utilized the Aljubour culturally adapted dental visual aids demonstrated a significant improvement in oral hygiene status compared to those who used conventional dental visual aids after a six-month evaluation period.