IADR Abstract Archives
Dental Caries and Oral Hygiene Status Among Special Children in Nepal
Objectives: Children with special needs (special children) defined as children who have any various difficulties that causes an individual to require specialized services or helps. Recent searches showed that oral health problem among special children are on the rise. However, in Nepal only one study was done. This study aims to determine and compare dental caries experience, oral hygiene status among special with healthy children of age 11-13 years in Kathmandu and Lalitpur District, Nepal
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 158 children (79 special and 79 healthy children) aged '11-13 years studying in special and normal school in Kathmandu and Lalitpur District, Nepal. A total of 79 special children were visually impaired (16.5%), hearing and speech impaired (25.3%) and orthopedically impaired (58.27%). Dental examination was performed using a mouth mirror and a probe according to WHO criteria and methods in 1997.
Results: Dental caries prevalence of special children is high (75.9%) when compared to 65.8% in healthy children. The mean DMFT of special and healthy children are 3.07 ± 2.48 and 2.59 ± 2.60 with p=0.237. The mean for Missing teeth of special and healthy children are 0.50 ± 1.11 and 0.12 ± 0.40 with p=0.005. Both special and healthy children have fair oral hygiene with mean OHI-S 2.27 ± 0.86 and 1.63 ± 0.67 respectively.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that there is an alarming situation for oral disease among special children. Thus, tailored oral health education and proper oral hygiene habits should be provided to the parents/ caretaker of special children.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 158 children (79 special and 79 healthy children) aged '11-13 years studying in special and normal school in Kathmandu and Lalitpur District, Nepal. A total of 79 special children were visually impaired (16.5%), hearing and speech impaired (25.3%) and orthopedically impaired (58.27%). Dental examination was performed using a mouth mirror and a probe according to WHO criteria and methods in 1997.
Results: Dental caries prevalence of special children is high (75.9%) when compared to 65.8% in healthy children. The mean DMFT of special and healthy children are 3.07 ± 2.48 and 2.59 ± 2.60 with p=0.237. The mean for Missing teeth of special and healthy children are 0.50 ± 1.11 and 0.12 ± 0.40 with p=0.005. Both special and healthy children have fair oral hygiene with mean OHI-S 2.27 ± 0.86 and 1.63 ± 0.67 respectively.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that there is an alarming situation for oral disease among special children. Thus, tailored oral health education and proper oral hygiene habits should be provided to the parents/ caretaker of special children.