Survey on Oral Health Education Knowledge of Family Members and Health Workers Dedicated to Patients with Disabilities.

Abstract

Over a billion people in the world live with some form of disability and this figure is destined to grow due to the increase in life expectancy. As consequence, the caregiver is taking on an increasingly important role that gains relevance also in the field of oral-dental prevention, being able to promptly identify needs for medical treatment. In some cases, however, the caregiver can be an obstacle to consider in case of a lack of adequate knowledge and commitment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the caregiver level of oral education comparing family members and health workers dedicated to people with disabilities knowledge. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed in five disability service centers and filled alternatively by family members of patients with disability and disability service centers health workers. Two-hundred fifty questionnaires were collected, of which 100 were filled in by family members and 150 by health workers. Data were analyzed by applying the chi-squared (X2) independence test and the pairwise method for missing data. Family members oral education appears better in terms of brushing frequency, toothbrush replacement, and number of dental visits.