Influence of different intellectual disability levels on caries and periodontal disease

Abstract

Oral health care is fundamental to preserve the individual integrity and consequently influences the general health. This observational, cross-sectional and analytical study evaluated the oral condition of 129 intellectually disabled individuals from the Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children (APAE) in three southern Brazilian cities. Dental caries (DMFT and dmft indices) and periodontal disease (PSR index) were evaluated considering the intellectual disability level. A questionnaire on socioeconomic status (income and education level) and the last visit to a dentist was answered by the subjects’ parents/guardians. The data were statistically evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test (α=0.05). The mean DMFT values were 2.27, 3.76 and 0.58 (p<0.05), and the mean dmft values were 1.48, 1.55 and 2.75, respectively for subjects with mild, moderate and severe disabilities. Regarding the PSR index, 43% of the subjects presented gingivitis without retention factor (no calculus or defective margins) with no significant differences among the three disability levels. Considering the population and the limitations of this study, the subjects presenting severe disabilities showed significantly lower mean DMFT values compared to other disability levels, probably because the caretakers are responsible for the oral hygiene of such subjects.