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Oral health survey of 6–12‐year‐old children with disabilities attending special schools in C hennai, I ndia
Author(s) -
Gardens Seby J.,
Krishna Madhusudan,
Vellappally Sajith,
Alzoman Hamad,
Halawany Hassan S.,
Abraham Nimmi B.,
Jacob Vimal
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1111/ipd.12088
Subject(s) - medicine , oral hygiene , oral health , family medicine , special needs , population , hygiene , dentistry , environmental health , psychiatry , pathology
Background The dental literature is replete with reports on the oral health surveys of normal children. Relatively few data exist for the oral conditions of mentally challenged children and adolescents with multiple disabilities in India. Aim To assess the oral hygiene practices and treatment needs among 6–12‐year‐old disabled children attending special schools in Chennai, India, between 2007 and 2008. Design A cross‐sectional study data were collected using WHO criteria, a questionnaire (for the parents/guardians) regarding demographic data and oral hygiene practices, medical record review, and clinical examination. Results Among 402 disabled children, majority of the children brushed their teeth once daily (89.7%) and with assistance from the caregiver (64.4%). The utilisation of the dental services was minimal (extractions 14.4%, oral prophylaxis 1.7%, and restorations 1.7%). There was significant difference between residents and non‐residents for the mean dft/ DMFT . The periodontal health was comparatively better among the residents of the institutions than the non‐residents ( P < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that various variables were significantly associated with dft/ DMFT and Community Periodontal Index ( CPI ). Conclusion This study gives sufficient evidence to suggest that the oral health status of this disabled population was poor and there was an increased unmet dental treatment needs.