Barriers to Professional Dental Care among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Shawler et al. (2021) asked 142 moms of autistic kids about dental visits.

They used an online survey. Moms listed every problem they met while booking or paying for care.

Two out of three families said getting dental care was hard.

The top two reasons were cost and dentists who would not take the child.

Kammer et al. (2025) talked to parents and dentists and dug deeper. They found the real issue is poor staff training and lack of parent supports. Their work extends A et al. by showing why dentists say no.

McMullen et al. (2017) proved one child with autism can learn to sit through a dental exam when the team uses ABA desensitization and a picture schedule. This case shows the training gap Vitali found is fixable.

Weng et al. (2011) counted fluoride varnish use in Taiwan. Fewer than 1 in the kids with disabilities got it. That number matches the low U.S. access rate A et al. reports, showing the problem is global.

You can close the gap. Share McMullen’s prediction-plus-desensitization packet with local dentists. Offer to train office staff or accompany the child for the first visit. One cooperative patient often turns a reluctant dentist into a willing one.