Caries experience and level of restorative care among a handicapped population in Israel

A total of 43 patients, aged 3 to 22. who have handicapping conditions were examined to determine caries level, level of restorative care, and oral hygiene. A strong correlation was found between caries and oral hygiene levels. No significant differences were found in caries levels between males and females, and low percentage of dental treatment received was found in the examined population. More emphasis should be put into the undergraduate curriculum on the treatment of handicapped populations, and that additional funding should be allocated to provide basic preventive care.     

Dental caries and administrative status occurrence in Finnish children with mentally handicapping conditions

Caries prevalence was recorded in 204 Finnish children, aged 9 to 10 years (125 had mentally handicapping conditions, 79 had no mentally handicapping conditions—identified in this paper as “normal”). The children with mentally handicapping conditions used preventive fluoride less frequently and their standard of oral hygiene was much poorer than that of the normal children. In the registered children with mentally handicapping conditions, caries occurrence was less than that in the normal children. In the unregistered children with mentally handicapping conditions, caries occurrence was greater than in the normal children. Irrespective of administrative status or severity of mentally handicapping conditions, these children received less dental treatment than the normal children with regard to treatment need. The need to further educate dental care personnel in the dental treatment of these children seems evident, especially as long as the dental care system is not able to meet the restorative dental treatment needs of the children with mentally handicapping conditions. The necessity of preventive regimens for these children should be emphasized even at low levels of caries occurrence.     

Relationship of socioeconomic background to oral hygiene, gingival status, and dental caries in children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between socioeconomic status and oral hygiene, gingival condition, and dental caries among 12- to 15-year-old children. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Poor children of low-to-moderate socioeconomic status (n = 674) attending 10 public schools were chosen randomly from each of the five geographic areas in Irbid, Jordan. Rich children of high socioeconomic status (n = 347) attending 10 private schools were also included. Schoolchildren were examined for oral hygiene, gingival condition, and dental caries. RESULTS: Significantly higher proportions of children attending public schools had bleeding on brushing and calculus. Mean plaque and gingival scores were higher in public school children than in private school children, but the difference was not statistically significant. The public school children had higher overall scores for decayed, missing, or filled teeth and surfaces as well as higher scores for decayed teeth and surfaces, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. However, children attending private schools had significantly more missing and filled teeth and surfaces. CONCLUSION: The findings for oral hygiene, gingival status, and dental caries were worse, but not significantly worse, among poor children than they were among rich children. Therefore, dental health education is recommended for both socioeconomic groups.     

The effect of dental education and dental treatment on the dental status of a handicapped population: a longitudinal study

Thirty-nine patients, aged 3 to 22, who have handicapping conditions were examined twice in a range of 1 1/2 years to determine oral hygiene level, periodontal treatment needs, and level of caries. During this period, each patient was given periodontal treatment, including scaling, caries treatment, and oral health education, which also was given to hospital staff members. Findings showed a slight increase in the DMF rate, a minor improvement in oral hygiene, and a significant reduction in periodontal treatment needs. The results showed that without cooperation of the staff members, a dental education program would not succeed in this setting.     

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

Abstract 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).     

A study on the dental disease of the handicapped

Opinions vary as to what extent handicapped children differ in oral health from children without handicapping conditions. The present study was a comprehensive study and evaluation of oral health comparing 267 handicapped and 128 nonhandicapped persons with regard to caries rate, occlusion, and periodontal condition. The dft, dfs, and DMFT indices of handicapped according to age were significantly lower than those of nonhandicapped subjects. The prevalence of gingivitis in handicapped persons increased with age and was significantly higher than that reported for nonhandicapped subjects. The handicapped group had a significantly higher percentage of Class II and Class III occlusion than that observed in the comparison group.     

Comparative study of oral health status of mentally sub-normal, physically handicapped, juvenile delinquents and normal children of Bombay.

Prevalence study on dental caries and periodontal disease carried out in 94 mentally subnormal, 92 physically handicapped, 74 juvenile delinquents and 206 normal children (11-14-year-old) revealed high prevalence of periodontal disease in handicapped (95 to 100%) and low in normal children (54.37%). The point prevalence of dental caries was higher in normal children (84.9%, DMFS 6.19) followed by juvenile delinquents (75.67%, DMFS 4.3), physically handicapped (73.91%, DMFS 4.3) and mentally subnormal (64.9%, DMFS 4.48).     

The organisation of dental care for groups of mentally handicapped persons

One hundred and eighty-nine mentally handicapped persons attending both residential and non-residential institutions were examined during 1984/85. All were assessed for treatment need for caries; periodontal need was also assessed in 43 of the older patients. At base-line examination it was found that a high proportion of the dental caries remained untreated and most of the treatment that was provided consisted of extractions. Treatment was subsequently provided by a health board dental officer, junior hospital staff, final year undergraduate students or a consultant in paediatric dentistry. Most treatment requirements were met by the non-consultant personnel. A follow-up examination completed during 1987 showed a considerable improvement in the treatment of caries; periodontal treatment need remained unchanged. It can concluded from this study that it is feasible to set up an effective dental service for mentally handicapped groups, that improvements in the treatment of dental caries can be achieved in a relatively short period of time and that most treatment requirements can be met by non-consultant staff. Continuing care, particularly for periodontal disease, remains a problem.     

Dental health and dental care requirements for young handicapped adults in Wessex

The dental health status and treatment requirements of 195 young handicapped adults living in the Wessex Health Region are reported. These young adults, aged 25-34 years, attended adult training centres on a daily basis in each of the districts in Wessex Region. The amount of untreated caries was higher and the periodontal status worse for this group than would normally be expected in young adults in this age range. The dental care received was related to the ability of the subject to comprehend and co-operate with the operator. Nearly half the subjects could receive routine treatment in a normal surgery and about a quarter were likely to require hospitalisation and general anaesthesia to achieve any treatment. The community dental service should play an important role in organising and supervising preventive strategies, with the aim of improving oral hygiene for these young handicapped adults, which should materially improve their periodontal health.     

Salivary sialic acid levels and dental health in children with congenital heart disease

Congenital cardiac disease is one of the most common developmental anomalies in children. Higher caries prevalence and gingivitis compared to healthy children have been shown in children with congenital heart disease which has a significant implication in the medical care of these patients associated with bacteraemia and endocarditis. Sialic acids being terminal sugar components and marker of chronic inflammatory response are found to be present at higher levels in children with poor oral health status. So the present study aimed to evaluate the oral health status and salivary sialic acid levels among the children with congenital heart disease and normal healthy siblings. A total of 71 children with heart diseases aged 6-10 years attending various heart institutes were examined for oral hygiene status, gingival status and dental caries status by using modified WHO oral assessment form. A case-matched control group of 50 children were also examined. Salivary flow rate, pH and sialic acid levels were measured after saliva collection. The results were subjected to Unpaired t test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient Test. The salivary pH, salivary flow rate, dental caries status, oral hygiene and the gingival status were significantly compromised with a positive correlation with the sialic acid levels in saliva, leading to increased treatment needs in the study group. Therefore the amount of sialic acid in the saliva can be a useful index of the severity of oral disease.     

四川省12岁儿童口腔健康状况调查报告

目的调查四川省12岁儿童口腔健康现状,监测龋病和牙周疾病患病趋势,为四川省口腔卫生保健规划和决策提供信息和依据。方法按照《第三次全国口腔健康流行病学抽样调查方案》,采用多阶段分层等容量随机抽样的方法,抽取四川省12岁城乡儿童常住人口720人,男女各半,检查恒牙龋和牙周情况。数据采用SPSS13.0软件统计。结果12岁年龄组儿童龋均0.5,患龋率25.7%。龋补充填比F/(D F)6.7%,城市高于农村(P<0.01)。窝沟封闭率0.7%,农村为0。显著性龋均指数1.47,73.40%的恒牙龋分布于12.74%的儿童中。牙龈出血检出率76.3%,牙石检出率72.0%,人均7.5颗牙齿有牙龈出血,9.9颗牙齿有牙石。农村均高于城市(P<0.01)。结论调查人群患龋率较低,但龋病预防与治疗情况差,龋病主要集中在少数高危儿童;农村儿童牙周状况差,农村口腔保健工作亟待加强。口腔卫生保健工作应趋向区域性、合理性、系统性。     

Oral health status among teenage schoolchildren in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

In the developing countries, the main dental problem has traditionally been periodontal disease, but recently dental caries has been reported to be increasing. There are some findings showing the same pattern in Tanzania. The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of caries and the periodontal status among schoolchildren in Dar es Salaam. The series consisted of pupils of classes 6 and 7 in five primary schools (n = 640, ages 12-18 yr). Two-thirds of the children examined were caries-free. Boys had significantly lower DMF scores than girls, 0.7 and 1.2, respectively. Almost all the children showed early signs of gingivitis and assessment by the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) showed that in over 50% all sextants of the mouth were affected. In the older age group (15-18 yr) girls had a significantly higher number of periodontally healthy sextants than boys. The results confirm the high prevalence of periodontal problems but show a very low prevalence of caries. Thus, there are no signs of an alarming caries problem in Dar es Salaam, but oral hygiene education should be promoted.     

Oral health attitudes, knowledge, and behavior among school children in North Jordan

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of school children towards oral health and dental care as well as to evaluate the factors that determine these variables. School children (n=557) of an average age of 13.5 years attending public schools in North Jordan were recruited into this study. The subjects completed a questionnaire that aimed to evaluate young school children's behavior, knowledge, and perception of their oral health and dental treatment. The participants' oral hygiene habits (such as tooth brushing) were found to be irregular, and parents' role in the oral hygiene habits of their children was limited. The study population showed higher awareness of caries than periodontal conditions. Irregular visits to the dentist were found to be common, and toothache was the major driving factor for dental visits. Children had positive attitudes toward their dentists; nevertheless, they indicated that they feared dental treatment. The children in this study also recognized the importance of oral health to the well-being of the rest of the body. Parents were not proactive in making sure that their children received regular dental care. Parents' knowledge and attitudes about the importance of oral health care and their fears about dental treatment influenced their children's dental care. The results of this study indicate that children's and parents' attitudes toward oral health and dental care need to be improved. Comprehensive oral health educational programs for both children and their parents are required to achieve this goal.     

成都市1～3岁低龄儿童龋齿患病与家庭口腔卫生行为调查

目的：调查成都市1~3岁低龄儿童的龋患情况及家庭口腔卫生行为习惯。方法：选取成都市5所幼儿园1~3岁儿童共计1000名作为研究对象,对其进行口腔卫生检查,根据是否患龋分为病例组与对照组。向2组儿童发放调查问卷,了解其口腔卫生习惯相关情况,对比、分析调查结果。采用SPSS 20.0软件包对数据进行统计学分析。结果：共有331名儿童患龋,患龋率为33.10%。病例组与对照组儿童在性别、低体重儿、胎龄、病史、父母最高学历、主要抚养人方面相比,差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）;2组在年龄分布、喂养方式、家庭年收入方面比较,差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。除家长使用牙线和家长刷牙频率2项外,2组儿童的其他家庭口腔卫生行为（定期检查牙、儿童吃甜食频率、儿童睡前进食频率、家长吃甜食频率）相比,差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。多因素分析结果显示,年龄、家庭年收入、含奶瓶睡觉、定期检查乳牙、儿童吃甜食频率、儿童睡前进食频率均是低龄儿童患龋的影响因素（P<0.05）。结论：成都市低龄儿童的龋患率较高,低龄儿童患龋与家庭口腔卫生行为有显著相关性,是低龄儿童患龋的因素之一。建立良好的家庭口腔卫生行为习惯,有助于降低低龄儿童龋齿的发生风险。     

Effect of antiasthmatic medication on dental disease: dental caries and periodontal disease

The prevalence of asthma has been increasing since the 1980s. Asthma and tooth decay are the two major causes of school absenteeism. There are few studies present in the literature. The objectives of the present study were to know the severity of dental caries and periodontal problems in children before and after taking antiasthmatic medication. The present study was conducted on 105, six- to fourteen-year-old asthmatic children to determine the condition of their dental caries and their periodontal status before and after taking antiasthmatic medication, for a period of 1 year and these were matched with their controls. The results showed that salbutamol inhaler shows increased caries rate with high significance over other groups, which was followed by salbutamol tablets and beclamethasone inhaler respectively. It has been concluded that antiasthmatic medication has its effects on dental caries and periodontal disease and asthmatic patients are recommended to adopt more precautionary oral hygiene practices and keep their caries activity and periodontal health under constant check.     

Trends in oral hygiene, gingival status and dental caries experience in 13-14-year-old Jordanian school children between 1993 and 1999

Aims : The aim of this survey was to describe the trends in oral hygiene, gingival condition and dental caries prevalence in 13–14‐year‐old northern Jordanian school children. Method : A dental survey was conducted in 1999, similar to one carried out in 1993, utilising 10 schools (666 pupils) and 20 schools (1,695) with children of 7th grade, respectively. These schools were chosen by a simple random method from the five geographic areas of the city. All participants had dental examinations for oral hygiene, gingival condition and dental caries experience using the Silness and Löe plaque index (PI.I), Löe and Silness gingival index (GI) and decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F) teeth (DMFT) and surfaces (DMFS) codes, respectively. Results : Boys had higher plaque and gingival scores than girls in both groups. The mean PI.I and Gl scores of males and females were significantly higher in the 1993 survey than in 1999 (P < 0.05). Also, male and female children examined in 1993 had significantly higher caries experience, as measured by DT, DS, DMFT and DMFS scores than in 1999 (P < 0.01). No differences were found between M and F values of both groups. It is concluded that oral hygiene, gingival condition and dental caries has improved since 1993.     

Correlation of manual dexterity and comprehension with oral hygiene and periodontal status in mentally handicapped adults

Although there is relatively little information concerning the oral health of handicapped adults there is increasing evidence to suggest that their oral condition, particularly periodontal health, is poor. The present investigation involved assessment of 382 handicapped patients attending four different Adult Training Centres in Birmingham. The caries status, oral hygiene, and periodontal conditions were evaluated and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) was calculated. In order to assess the manual dexterity and the comprehension of the trainees a standard test was devised. This consisted of timing each participant in carrying out simple instructions to pick up and position certain common objects. The results indicated high levels of plaque, calculus, and bleeding with a mean CPITN of 7.43. The mean time taken for the manual dexterity and comprehension test was 23.9 seconds with a range from 10 to 80 seconds, S.E.+/- 1.33. This compares with results from 34 "normal" adults of a mean time of 8.2 seconds +/- 1.8 with a range of 6 to 12 seconds. There was no significant correlation between the Manual Dexterity and Comprehension scores and the periodontal indices in the handicapped adults.     

Dental caries prevalence, tooth brushing and periodontal status in 150 young people in Istanbul: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate periodontal conditions, prevalence and determination of dental caries and oral health behaviours in a group of young people in Istanbul. DESIGN: Subjects were orally examined and questioned. SETTING: A high school in Istanbul. SUBJECTS: One hundred of fifty students. RESULTS: This study showed that 28 per cent of teenagers had adequate oral hygiene. These findings suggest that 72 per cent of the subjects needed oral hygiene education and required restorative dental care. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that dental treatment need is very high in the sample group. Strong co-operation should be set up between families, schools, communities, regulators and legislators in order to develop and implement comprehensive oral health promotion programmes.     

Dental caries experience, oral health status and treatment needs of dental patients with autism

Objectives

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder. The aims of this study were to investigate whether children with autism have higher caries prevalence, higher periodontal problems, or more treatment needs than children of a control group of non-autistic patients, and to provide baseline data to enable comparison and future planning of dental services to autistic children.

Material and Methods

61 patients with autism aged 6-16 years (45 males and 16 females) attending Dubai and Sharjah Autism Centers were selected for the study. The control group consisted of 61 non-autistic patients chosen from relatives or friends of autistic patients in an attempt to have matched age, sex and socioeconomic status. Each patient received a complete oral and periodontal examination, assessment of caries prevalence, and caries severity. Other conditions assessed were dental plaque, gingivitis, restorations and treatment needs. Chi-square and Fisher''s exact test of significance were used to compare groups.

Results

The autism group had a male-tofemale ratio of 2.8:1. Compared to controls, children with autism had significantly higher decayed, missing or filled teeth than unaffected patients and significantly needed more restorative dental treatment. The restorative index (RI) and Met Need Index (MNI) for the autistic children were 0.02 and 0.3, respectively. The majority of the autistic children either having poor 59.0% (36/61) or fair 37.8% (23/61) oral hygiene compared with healthy control subjects. Likewise, 97.0% (59/61) of the autistic children had gingivitis.

Conclusions

Children with autism exhibited a higher caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene and extensive unmet needs for dental treatment than non-autistic healthy control group. Thus oral health program that emphasizes prevention should be considered of particular importance for children and young people with autism.     

The oral health in different groups of adults with mental handicaps attending Birmingham (UK) adult training centres

The policies of normalisation and integration into the community of people with mental handicap have significant implications for dental care. Before dental services can be planned, the extent of the problem needs to be identified. A total of 382 people with mental handicap living in the community and attending day centres was examined; 52 of these people were edentulous. The mean age of the dentate adults was 30.9 years and the mean DMFT was 9.59. This was low in comparison with data available from national studies but when component parts of the DMF were evaluated it was apparent that far less restorative care had been received by the adults with mental handicap. There were also significant differences in the mean DMFT between mentally handicapped people who had additional handicaps; the mean DMFT for people with Down's syndrome was 10.95, whilst those mentally handicapped people who also had epilepsy had a mean DMFT of 11.19. The oral hygiene and periodontal condition was also poor and there were significant differences between the sub-groups. However, despite people with Down's syndrome having lower levels of plaque, they showed evidence of greater periodontal destruction. When resources are allocated, consideration should be given to raising the oral health of adults with mental handicap up to at least the same level as that of the rest of the population.