Parent perspectives on perceived dental pain and dental caries in Saudi schoolchildren with intellectual disability.

Abstract

To assess dental pain among male Saudi schoolchildren with intellectual learning disabilities (ILD) compared with controls and evaluate parents' perceptions of their children's dental pain and dental status. A mixed-method cross-sectional study of 92 male schoolchildren aged 12-16 years was conducted at schools in Albaha, Saudi Arabia between March and May 2018. Participants were clinically examined for dental caries. Parents' perspectives on their children's dental pain were explored using interviews and a questionnaire. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kendall's tau-b, and t-test analyses were run using SPSS® version 20.0. Children with and without ILD had a high prevalence of dental caries (77% and 86%, respectively). Participants with ILD had significantly higher Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ) scores than healthy controls (0.75 ± 0.27 and 0.59 ± 0.11, respectively), and their decayed teeth (DT) scores were higher. Parents' ability to determine the complexity of dental treatment needed was significantly related to oral pain in both groups. Children with ILD had more dental caries and pain than children without disabilities. Future research may use longitudinal studies to examine dental pain and caries in younger children with ILD and assess their parental perspectives. Implementation of oral educational programmes targeting parents of those children may be recommended.