Abstract:
Objective: To assess caries and oral health status of disabled individuals of special school in Gadap Town of Karachi, Pakistan.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in 94 participants. The study was conducted
on special persons, aged between 4-33 years, who were examined for caries and oral health status and were then included in
the study upon fulfilling the inclusion criteria. A self-structured questionnaire related to the DMFT and plaque index was
developed and data of each disabled individual was collected by trained house officers. Data was analyzed using SPSS software
20 version.
Results: In this study males were 72.6 % and females were 26.3%.Study participants with mental retardation were 41.1%, being
highest in frequency, followed by cerebral palsy 9.5%,autistic disorder 3.2% and Down`s syndrome 3.2% respectively. Study
results clearly indicated that oral hygiene was inadequate in all conditions of special persons who were studied. The group with
lack of motor skills did not have significantly better oral hygiene than the group who had good motor skills. Overall both groups
had poor oral hygiene.
Conclusion: Oral health status in disabled individuals is found to be poor.Adequate follow-up of daily oral hygiene, even in
self-sufficient special persons is needed. There is a strong need for enhanced education on mechanical as well as chemical
plaque control to the parents/ guardians/ care givers of the disabled individuals.