Caracterización de alteraciones craneofaciales en población con necesidades especiales: autismo y retardo mental. Revisión sistemática de la literatura.

Background: Oral and/or dental abnormalities have been found in patients with physical and/or mental disabilities, which may lead to malfunctions of the stomatognathic system, including speech, occlusion, and breathing dysfunctions. The identification of craniofacial issues among these patients will guide early dental and skeletal interventions, in order to achieve a normal occlusion, improved masticatory function, orofacial development, and psychosocial well-being of the patient. Purpose: To identify craniofacial abnormalities of special-needs patients (with intellectual disabilities and autism), through a systematic review of the literature, to guide the diagnostic process. Methods: The literature review was performed by searching the electronic databases: Medline, Cochrane-BVS, EBSCOHost, LiLACS, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Ovid, with the following descriptors: “autistic disorder” AND “intellectual disability,” in combination with “craniofacial abnormalities,” “malocclusion,” AND “oral habits.” Results: Evidence on craniofacial characteristics typical of patients with intellectual disability and autism was limited. Therefore, it was not possible to perform analysis and statistical comparisons and to generalize the results. Conclusion: There was not available evidence on craniofacial characteristics in people with intellectual disability and autism. The most frequently reported dentofacial abnormalities among these patients were malocclusion and bruxism, regardless of age or gender.