Social and medical influences on dental care provision for handicapped children

Abstract

A study of 1,730 handicapped children in 25 special schools in Newcastle and Northumberland was undertaken. Dental examinations were carried out for 1,612 of these children. Of the sample studied two-thirds were male and one-third were female children. The majority of educationally subnormal, maladjusted or physically handicapped patients came from social class IV and V. Other handicap types were more normally distributed across the social class spectrum. The most frequently occurring handicap was mildly educationally subnormal and the commonest accompanying medical condition was asthma and/or eezema. Not all children had had access to fluoridated water all their lives, and a higher proportion of the lower social class children had never had such benefit. In addition, it was unfortunate that only 17 of the children had been prescribed fluoride supplements. Despite opinions on the part of general dental practitioners to the contrary, most handicapped children were independently mobile and likely to accept routine dental care.