Oral Hygiene Practices and Oral Health Status of People with Special Health Care Needs: A Multicentric Study of Special Schools in a Southern Indian Taluk.

OBJECTIVES

Individuals with special health care needs, face unique oral health challenges due to physical, cognitive, and behavioral limitations. They often exhibit a significantly higher burden of dental caries and periodontal diseases. The objective of the study was to assess the oral health status of individuals with special needs in five special schools and evaluate their oral hygiene practices and determine the influence of demographic factors on clinical outcomes such as dental caries, oral hygiene, and gingival inflammation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 209 subjects with special needs residing at five special schools. Participants were examined for simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index, and gingival index. Sociodemographic data and oral hygiene practices were also recorded. Statistical comparisons between groups were made using independent t tests and analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Autism was the most prevalent condition, affecting 72.2% of the participants. Although 98.1% of them reported brushing their teeth, the OHI-S score was 3.04 ± 1.4 and DMFT score was 3.21 ± 0.61, indicating a significant oral disease burden. Gender-specific analysis showed that males had significantly higher OHI-S scores (3.12 ± 0.7) compared to females (2.70 ± 0.6, P = 0.04), whereas females had a significantly higher number of missing teeth (1.47 ± 0.5) compared to males (0.66 ± 0.4, P = 0.049). Also, participants aged >20 years demonstrated the worst oral health indices, with significant increases in OHI-S, missing teeth, and gingival inflammation (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicate toward a severe oral health burden among individuals with special needs despite good basic oral hygiene routines. Hence, there is a need for targeted interventions, enhanced caregiver education, and early intervention programs to address the barriers affecting oral health in these individuals.