Characterization of the Oral Health of Individuals With Special Needs at Cerci Portalegre

Abstract

Introduction: At the present time, progress has been made between the relation in oral health and general health. Therefore, deepen knowledge of the oral health status of a population is essential for the establishment of health promotion measures. Since populations with special needs require a multidisciplinary approach, it is even more important to define these measures. The first step will be to establish the baseline values of a population, and thus to better understand their oral health needs. Objectives: This work aims to characterize the oral health status of a population with special needs at Cerci Portalegre. Methods: After obtaining the informed consent of the heads of the institution and the individuals’ legal guardians, as well as the consent of the individuals, the observation of the oral cavity was carried out to collect the present and past history of dental caries using the DMFT index (index of decayed, missing and filled teeth) and the evaluation of bacterial plaque accumulation on the dental surface by the DI’S index (bacterial plaque index). Results: Forty individuals were observed, 29 men and 11 women, with a mean age of 35 years. It was observed that these individuals had a mean value of DMFT of 4.7 decayed, missing and filled teeth, with no statistically significant difference between men and women (p=0.952). The mean value of DI’S was 2.02 which represents a high value of bacterial plaque accumulation which, being an etiological factor of oral diseases, indicates a risk of developing oral health problems. Conclusions: Patients with disabilities in most cases require more care at the level of oral health, due to their physical and mental inability to perform correct oral hygiene habits. Therefore, promoting oral health and educational measures may play a relevant role in the study population for the prevention of oral health problems and consequently other health problems.