Oral health condition of 12-year-old handicapped children in Flanders (Belgium)

The dental condition of 626 12‐year‐old handicapped children with mild mental or moderate to severe mental retardation or learning impairment, being 25% of the population of each of these groups, was examined in Flanders. An evaluation of oral cleanliness showed poor oral hygiene in 31.8% of the chi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community dentistry and oral epidemiology 1997-10, Vol.25 (5), p.352-357
Main Authors: Gizani, Sotiria, Declerck, Dominique, Vinckier, Frans, Martens, Luc, Marks, Luc, Coffin, Guy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Belgium - epidemiology
Caregivers
caries distribution
Child
Dental Caries - epidemiology
Dental Deposits - epidemiology
Dental Plaque - epidemiology
Dental Restoration, Permanent - statistics & numerical data
Dentistry
Disabled Children - statistics & numerical data
DMF Index
handicapped children
Humans
Intellectual Disability - epidemiology
Interpersonal Relations
Learning Disorders - epidemiology
Molar
oral health
Oral Hygiene - statistics & numerical data
Parent-Child Relations
Pit and Fissure Sealants - therapeutic use
restorative index
Tooth Diseases - epidemiology
Toothbrushing - statistics & numerical data
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Summary:The dental condition of 626 12‐year‐old handicapped children with mild mental or moderate to severe mental retardation or learning impairment, being 25% of the population of each of these groups, was examined in Flanders. An evaluation of oral cleanliness showed poor oral hygiene in 31.8% of the children. No significant differences were found in oral cleanliness among types of handicapping conditions. The mean DMFT score was 2.9 (s: 2.6) and DMFS score was 5.4 (s: 5.6). Almost 21% of the children were free of caries or fillings. No significant differences were found among groups of handicapped children. Handicapped children presented a low level of restorative care (restorative index score: 48.7%). Mildly mentally retarded children demonstrated the lowest restorative index (43.9%). The caries experience of first permanent molars represented the largest part of the DMFT score (64.1%). Sealants were present in 7.9% of children examined. A considerable percentage of mildly mentally retarded children and learning impaired children did not brush daily (22.1% and 20.9%) and did not receive help with toothbrushing from their parents or carers (91.0% and 94.7%, respectively).
ISSN:0301-5661
1600-0528
DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0528.1997.tb00954.x