Comprehensive management of an autistic patient with mental retardation under general anesthesia

Background: Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication and one of the most heritable complex genetic disorders in psychiatry. Comprehensive management of these children requires multidisciplinary teamwork. Case Report: A 16-year-old male patient was brought to the Department of Pedodontics and preventive dentistry by his parents with complaints of pain and sensitivity of teeth and consequent difficulty in eating in the lower left back tooth region for 2 weeks. Since the patient was combative in nature comprehensive management was planned under general anesthesia. Complete rehabilitation including pulpectomy, restoration, fluoride varnish application, and parental counseling was done. After the procedure, the patient recovered well from the pain discomfort he was having and significant improvement in his oral hygiene was noted. After 4 weeks, follow visit revealed significant improvement in his behavior.