Oral health needs of U.S. children with developmental disorders: a population-based study

Abstract

Background Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) have higher rates of oral diseases and tooth decay compared with the general population. Children with developmental disorders/ disabilities (DD) are a subset of CSHCN whose oral health has not been specifically addressed. Therefore, this study had two objectives: to describe the oral health needs (OHN) of children with DD compared with children without DD; and to assess barriers to access to care, utilization of dental services, and their association with oral health needs for children with DD. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized a sample of 30,530 noninstitutionalized children from the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The analysis identified 6501 children with DD and 24,029 children without DD. Children with DD had significantly higher prevalence of OHN (20.3% vs. 12.2%, respectively), unmet dental needs (3.5% vs 1.2%), and utilization of any dental visits (86.1% vs 76.1%), (P-value < . 001). The adjusted logistic model identified four factors that contributed to the higher odds of OHN among children with DD: poverty (< 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (AOR = 2.27, CI: 1.46–3.51), being uninsured (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.14–3.95), a high level of disability (AOR = 1.89, CI: 1.23–2.78), and living in the western United States (AOR = 1.61, CI: 1.09–2.37. Conclusion Despite higher utilization of dental services, children with DD had poorer oral health and more unmet dental needs than children without DD. Advocacy efforts and policy changes are needed to develop affordable access that assesses, as early as possible, children with DD whose conditions impact their ability a great deal so that their potential OHN may be alleviated more effectively.

Oral health inequalities and disability: Closing the gap

“…The little available data indicates high caries rates in disabled people that are relatively autonomous on one hand, and high levels of periodontal disease but lower caries prevalence in institutionalized populations on the other 25,26 . The most striking, repeated finding is that of unmet dental treatment need, which is systematically higher than in the general population 25,27–30 . In addition, when they do manage to access dental care, disabled persons undergo more extractions than conservative treatment relative to the general population and receive less prosthetic or implant therapy for the replacement of extracted teeth 31 .…”

Sensory Adaptations to Improve Physiological and Behavioral Distress During Dental Visits in Autistic Children

“…Oral health, essential to overall health, is one of the most unmet health care needs for children in the United States . Children with special health care needs, such as autism, are at particular risk of oral health disparities . With the dramatic increase in autism prevalence (1 in 36 children diagnosed) over the past few decades, oral care in this population is a critical area of study.…”

The Development of Oral Functions in Children: A Clinical Study of Stomatognathic Dysfunction

“…All children and youth should have access to preventive and treatment-based dental care. However, some children have difficulty availing of oral care and dental treatment due to their systemic disease or disability [5,6]. Thus, caring and supporting for their oral functions remain unclear.…”