Evaluation of the effectiveness of adaptation of children with autism spectrum disorders to dental care

Objective. The aim the studi is to evaluation of the effectiveness of the method of adaptation of children with autism spectrum disorders to a dental appointment using augmented reality technology. Materials and methods. 76 children with autism spectrum disorders aged 3 to 16 years were examined and divided into 2 comparable groups. In group 1, standard adaptation of children to a dentist’s appointment was carried out, in group 2, a method of adaptation of children developed using augmented reality (AR) technology was additionally used. To determine the degree of anxiety of children with autism, the Frankl behavioral scale was used before and after the application of the developed adaptation method. Results. In the second group, more children with autism spectrum disorders adapted to dental visits. Specifically, the percentage of children displaying absolutely negative behavior dropped significantly (from 26.3% to 2.6%, p<0.05), as did those with negative behavior (from 23.7% to 2.6%, p<0.05). Conversely, the number of children exhibiting absolutely positive behavior increased (from 26.3% to 50%, p<0.05). Overall, the percentage of children with negative or absolutely negative behavior decreased dramatically, from 50% to 5.2% (p<0.05). These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology and support its recommendation for practical use. Conclusion. The use of the technique for adapting children with ASD to a dental appointment, developed using PAP and AR technology, helps to reduce the manifestation of undesirable behavior in children with ASD and can be used to prepare a child for a dental appointment and dental manipulations.