Abstrak 
ORAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AMONG PARENTS OF AUTISTIC CHILD IN BANDUNG-INDONESIA
Yetty Herdiyati Nonong, Arlette Setiawan, Fellani Danasra Dewi and Cugati Navaneetha
Dental Journal Majalan Kedokteran Gigi
Inggris
Yetty Herdiyati Nonong, Arlette Setiawan, Fellani Danasra Dewi and Cugati Navaneetha, Dental Journal Majalah Kedokteran Gigi
Autism, child, dental caries, oral health, Parental knowledge
Background: Autistic children as well as other special needs individual demand special care given by their parents. But there exist limited awareness among parents in Indonesia society, especially with regard to their oral health. Purpose: The study was aimed to assess the oral health related knowledge, attitude and behavior of the parents; and oral health status of their autistic children in comparison with non-autistic children. Methods: Total of 56 children (23 autistic and 23 normal) between 7-12 years was included in this study. Data on parents’ knowledge, attitude, oral health practice and behavior of their children were gathered from the questionnaires. The oral health status of the children was recorded using deft and DMFT caries index. Results: All obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 13 to correlate the index of the sample. It showed that caries index of autistic child was lower and limited oral health knowledge among parents. Conclusion: There is need of greater awareness to be spread among the population of Indonesia about the existing professional help for the special children and educate the parents to maintain their child’s oral health for a better quality of life.