A paired comparison of dental care in Canadians with Down syndrome and their siblings without Down syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that, controlling for age, Canadians with Down syndrome (DS) have dental care that is different to that of their siblings without DS. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of parents of children with DS among members of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS), using a validated questionnaire. Parents were asked to complete two versions of the questionnaire: one for their child with DS and another for the sibling closest in age without DS. A total of 2327 questionnaires were distributed; 1221 questionnaires for people with DS and 950 for siblings without DS were returned. A paired analysis (McNemar test) of dental care indicators was performed on data from 938 family pairs, stratifying for age. RESULTS: For all the dental care indicators and age groups, many respondents indicated the same behaviours or experiences in their child with DS and a sibling without DS. However, depending on the particular form of dental care and the age group, 0-47% of families reported discordant dental care experiences for their child with DS and a sibling without DS. The greatest differences were observed for yearly consults (P = 0.029), restorations (P < 0.001), fluoride therapy (P = 0.013) and extractions (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that compared to their siblings without DS, Canadians with DS are receiving different dental care.