Prospektivna opservaciona kohortna studija oralnog zdravlja osoba sa invaliditetom

Abstract

Introduction: People with disabilities represent a vulnerable category of the population in terms of oral health due to the inability to adequately maintain oral hygiene. The aim of our work is to analyze the status of oral health expressed by an adequate indicator in the population of people with disabilities who come to the national special rehabilitation hospital in Serbia for prosthetic rehabilitation. Material and methods: The study was performed as a prospective observational cohort study that included 51 subjects who had at least one limb amputated and who were hospitalized for prosthetic rehabilitation after limb amputation. After the examination of the oral cavity, the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index was determined, which represents the sum of the total number of carious, filled and extracted teeth. Results: Patients had an average DMFT index of 22 (median) with an interquartile range of 17 to 27. The high value of the DMFT index was most heavily influenced by the number of extracted teeth. The median number of extracted teeth was 16 (interquartile range: 10 - 25). There were significantly less carious teeth, 2 (0 - 3), while there were the least teeth with dental fillings, 0 (0 - 2). Conclusion: High values of the DMFT index in the patients with disabilities indicate the need for the oral health improvements in this vulnerable population.