A special needs dentistry study of institutionalized individuals with intellectual disability in West Sumatra Indonesia

Abstract

people with intellectual disability have a higher risk of oral health problems. this study assessed the clinical oral health status and behaviors and treatment needs of people living in an institution in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. We quantified oral health status of 65 individuals with intellectual disability using Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHIs), Angle's classification of malocclusion, Community Periodontal Index and Treatment Need (CPITN), and decay index and also recorded their brushing behavior. We found that males had significantly lower OHIs (p < 0.001), more malocclusion (p < 0.001), greater caries number (p < 0.001), greater CPITN (p = 0.001) and higher need of dental treatment (p < 0.01) than females. Additionally, we found that high caries number was associated with poor OHIS, malocclusion, periodontal disease, and dependent brushing behavior (p < 0.001). The findings of this study imply that there is a gap in appropriate oral health care in individuals with intellectual disability. there should be a greater focus on providing appropriate oral health education to people with intellectual disability, improving the health literacy and quality of care of caregivers, and providing more dentists with specialized training in special needs dentistry.

The Oral Health Inequities between Special Needs Children and Normal Children in Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Special needs children are individuals under the age of 18 who have either physical or cognitive disabilities, including intellectual disability (ID), Down Syndrome (DS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy (CP), epilepsy (EP), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [ 1 ]. They have oral health problems similar to those of normal children, such as dental caries, poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, and malocclusion [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Special care dentistry perception among dentists in Jakarta: An online survey study

“…Many studies reported that oral disease and unmet dental needs were more prevalent among SCPs [ 2 , 3 ]. A significant number of barriers are faced by those patients with special needs.…”

“…An editorial article in 2016 argued that SCDA’s definition of SCD can be fulfilled by the specialties that have been recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), as well as by many non-specialty in dentistry [ 13 ]. But, no matter with the status of SCD in Indonesia, it did not changed the fact that oral health care needs of SCPs population was being neglected [ 3 , 36 ]. This is a larger issue that should be addressed.…”

“…It is well reported that dental caries and periodontal disease have a strong correlation with poor oral hygiene. It is not surprising that individuals with special needs were also consistently shown to have more oral disease [ 2 , 3 ]. In addition, poor oral health including greater restorative procedures and minimal preventive treatment were common amongst those with intellectually disability in the presence or absence of physical disability [ 26 ].…”

“…Oral health was reported to be a significant health problem in Indonesian population [ 1 ]. Special Care Patients (SCPs) are in particular more vulnerable to oral health problems than those without, being reported to have higher plaque scores and caries prevalence, as well as poor periodontal health [ 2 , 3 ]. Maintaining good oral hygiene and access to dental care amongst this cohort was, and still is, often non-existent, especially when compared to the general population.…”