Evaluation of the dental status in special needs children

Abstract

Introduction: Contemporary literature suggests that individuals with chronic diseases or special needs tend to have worse oral health, compared to the healthy population. Aim: The aim of this study is tо research the distribution of caries lesions in children with special needs. Materials and Methods: The observation was performed using the dmft/DMFT index. Results and Discussion: The total average dmft/dmf(T+t)/DMFT index was 14.28± 2.95. The final value of the index was higher in children from the youngest group 12 years (0.37 ± 0.59). The results from the registration of the dental status described a high prevalence of carious lesions in special needs children (SNC) treated under general anesthesia, which was a result of the main systemic disease and the side effects, experienced from the prescribed medicaments. Other reasons for the high carious lesion count in these children were the absence of proper oral hygiene habits due to sensory impairment and pain from complicated carious lesions, as well as neglected oral health due to care for the main systemic disorder. Conclusion: In SNC it is very important to focus on prophylaxis and special care for control of oral hygiene.