A comparative study of oral health behaviors and self-perception in adult populations with and without intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Objectives: To compare oral health behaviors and self-perception of treatment needs in adult populations with and without intellectual disabilities. Methods: A prevalence study was conducted on a convenience sample of 480 individuals aged 18-64 years: 240 individuals with mild intellectual disability affiliated with HUMANITAS and 240 without disability, patients of the University Clinic of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. A sociodemographic and oral health questionnaire was applied to evaluate: number of natural teeth; brushing frequency and methods; periodicity and reason for dental appointments; and self-perception of oral condition and treatment needs. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS software, version 22.0, using the chi-square and the Mann-Whitney statistical tests. Results: Regarding the oral condition of the disabled population, 32.9% had less than 20 teeth – more than the non-disabled one (10%). Daily oral hygiene was also less frequent in the disabled population (79,6% vs. 94.2%), as was the use of dental floss (7.1% vs. 47.1%) or mouthwash (24.1% vs. 49.2%). The population with disability also had a lower percentage of dentist appointments in the past 6 months (28.4% vs. 59.2%), especially for routine reasons (18.8% vs. 46.3%), a greater self-perception of the need for treatment (75.2% vs. 56.7%), and a less favorable self-perception of the oral condition, since less than half (37.4% vs. 56.2%) of the sample described their oral condition as good or superior. Conclusions: Despite the poor results obtained in both populations, the oral health behaviors of the intellectually disabled population were significantly poorer. Thus, the training of health professionals and caregivers and the implementation of public oral health programs are essential to improve the oral health of these individuals.