[Psycho-social aspects of dental care for the handicapped. An investigation into dental care for handicapped children living at home].

An investigation was carried out to determine those factors that play a decisive part in dental care for handicapped children living at home. Data were obtained by interviews with parents of 32 mentally retarded and cerebral palsied children, 20 attendants, 48 general dental practitioners and 19 dental hygienists in two districts in The Netherlands. The dental health of 21 children was clinically examined. Parents experienced many problems in maintenance of oral hygiene as well as in finding a dentist for their child. They perceived drooling, halitosis and oral-facial malfunctions as the most important oral problems. Poor levels of oral hygiene were found in the handicapped children and the normative treatment needs were high. Dentists and dental hygienists shrank from treating disabled patients mainly because of inadequate knowledge and training. The results of this study were discussed in the context of planning dental health care for the handicapped.