{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T12:07:43Z","timestamp":1791806863315,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,31]],"date-time":"2024-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1725062400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health-Ricerca Corrente 2022\u20132024"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This article delves into the intricate relationship between oral health, quality of life, and behavioral characteristics in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Background\/Objectives: Autism has been associated with various challenges, and this study seeks to elucidate the impact of ASD on oral health outcomes and overall well-being. The research focuses on assessing overall oral health by evaluating various parameters, such as the condition of lips, tongue, gums and tissues, natural teeth, dentures, oral hygiene, and dental pain in individuals with ASD. Additionally, the study explores the influence of age, sex, and certain variables, like basic daily living skills on oral health practices, aiming to identify potential correlations between these factors and oral health outcomes. Methods: We employed standardized instruments to quantitatively measure and analyze the impact of oral health status on the overall quality of life experienced by individuals with ASD. Results: The study found a statistically significant positive association between oral health, measured by the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and quality of life, as indicated by EuroQol 5-Dimensions Youth version (EQ-5D-Y) total scores (\u03b2 = 0.13045, p = 0.00271). This suggests that better oral health is linked to higher quality of life. When adjusting for age and sex in a multiple linear regression model, the association remained significant but with a slightly reduced effect size (\u03b2 = 0.10536, p = 0.0167). Age also showed a marginally significant positive association with quality-of-life scores. ANOVA results indicated that participants with advanced oral health status reported significantly higher quality-of-life scores than those with poorer oral health (p = 0.00246). The study also found that intelligence quotient (IQ) does not substantially influence dental health status, while the \u201cAutonomy\u201d subscale of the EQ-5D-Y is positively related to the OHAT. Conclusions: Unhealthy oral conditions significantly impact the overall quality of life in individuals with ASD. Therefore, it is crucial to include regular dental assessments and treatments in therapeutic protocols for patients with ASD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13175179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,2]],"date-time":"2024-09-02T10:07:35Z","timestamp":1725271655000},"page":"5179","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Oral Health and Quality of Life in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Antonio","family":"Fallea","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0121-3396","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luigi","family":"Vetri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"L\u2019Episcopo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Massimiliano","family":"Bartolone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marinella","family":"Zingale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eleonora","family":"Di Fatta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-5182-4775","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriella","family":"d\u2019Albenzio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Computing, Queen\u2019s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada"},{"name":"The Intervention Centre, Oslo University Hospital, 0313 Oslo, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serafino","family":"Buono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7371-0228","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele","family":"Roccella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0414-1359","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maurizio","family":"Elia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9200-2772","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carola","family":"Costanza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care \u201cG. D\u2019Alessandro\u201d, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"778","DOI":"10.1002\/aur.2696","article-title":"Global Prevalence of Autism: A Systematic Review Update","volume":"15","author":"Zeidan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Autism Res."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5, American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.. [5th ed.].","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425596"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Mo, H. (2024, June 17). Neurodevelopmental Disorders & Oral Health-Related Quality of Life for Children and Their Caregivers. 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