Oral health and oral health behaviour of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities compared with a national representative sample of 17-year-olds in the Netherlands.
Jan Hendrik Vermaire, Sonja M Kalf, Annemarie A Schuller
PMID 33169895WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities had more tooth decay and plaque than their peers, despite reporting similar brushing habits.
They visited dentists less often and snacked more at night. Dental anxiety was higher, and those living in institutions had worse outcomes than those at home.
Key findings
01Teeth with decayed, missing or filled surfaces (DMFS) averaged 4.44 in adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities versus 2.94 in the general population.
02Oral hygiene scores indicating plaque coverage were significantly poorer in the group with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities (1.28) compared to peers (0.69).
0344% of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities visited the dentist twice a year, compared to 83% of their general population peers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The comparison group was a general population sample, which likely included some individuals with undiagnosed mild or borderline intellectual disabilities, potentially underestimating the true difference. The group with intellectual disabilities was a convenience sample from specific schools and institutions, which may not represent all adolescents with these conditions. Self-reported oral health behaviours may be subject to social desirability bias, especially given the discrepancy between reported brushing and clinical plaque levels.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that patients with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities are neglecting their oral hygiene because they choose not to brush. The study found that self-reported brushing frequency was similar to peers, but clinical plaque levels were higher, suggesting that motor dexterity issues or ineffective brushing technique, rather than lack of effort, may be the cause.