Clinical investigation of the effects of oral health education in children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of oral health education, which includes parents on children with Down Syndrome (DS). Material and Methods: The present study included 35 children with DS. Oral hygiene education was given through a program that included parents. The oral hygiene and periodontal health status of all the children were clinically assessed using clinical index measurements such as Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Gingival Index (GI) and Plaque Index (PI) at the baseline, 1st month, 3rd month and 6th month after oral health education programme. Statistical analyses were performed. Results: All the mean PI, GI and BP measurements showed a statistically significant decrease according to the baseline mean values (p<0.05). Moreover, oral hygiene education, in which parents are involved, the fact that the clinical measurements on the posterior teeth are higher than on the anterior teeth. Results clearly indicate the difficulty of brushing on the posterior teeth in children with special needs. Conclusion: Oral health education has been determined to be rather effective on all clinical measurements. Scientific studies and educational programs in which sufficient information is provided to parents about oral health should be encouraged.