Oral Health Care of People with Down Syndrome in Germany

Abstract

Background: Due to a dearth of information on preventive and supportive oral care for people with Down Syndrome (PDS) in Germany, caregivers of PDS were surveyed on the topic. Methods: An anonymized questionnaire was sent to the 610 members of the German Down Syndrome Association. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Witten/Herdecke University (# 165/2017). Results: The parents/caregivers of 207 PDS responded. These PDS were between 1 and 55 years old (mean age 24.4 years) and included 111 males and 96 females. At their first dental appointment, 40.7% (n = 82) had been younger than three years. Although 78.3% (n = 162) tooth brushed twice daily, only 30.9% (n = 64) brushed for 2–3 min; 84.0% (n = 135) did not use other dental hygiene products apart from toothbrushes. Age-specific differences were found: Although only 30.8% (n = 12) of PDS < 18 years (n = 39) independently performed dental self-care; this was 67.3% (n = 113) for PDS ≥ 18 years (n = 168). A statistically significant (p < 0.001; Chi-Square-Test) difference in toothbrush preferences emerged: While PDS < 18 years mainly used manual toothbrushes, PDS ≥ 18 years preferred electric toothbrushes. In contrast to 72.6% of PDS ≥ 18 years, only 51.3% of PDS < 18 years accepted most types of toothpaste. Conclusions: Age-dependent differences in tooth brushing behaviour became evident within the group of PDS in Germany. Hence, better age-specific, inter-professional dental prophylaxis concepts need to be developed and offered for all age groups of PDS. These concepts should include personalized check-up intervals and hands-on instruction in dental hygiene procedures by dental practitioners.

Associated Factors of Dental Caries among Intellectually Disabled Persons in Specialized Centers of Ouagadougou

“…In many cases, caregivers need to actively assist with daily oral hygiene procedures and sometimes even need to perform this task for people with intellectual disability. It is important to stress that both individuals with intellectual disability, in all age groups, and their caregivers ought to be professionally instructed in proper tooth brushing techniques by dental practitioners within the scope of supportive oral hygiene interventions [21].…”

Unilateral Impaction of Mandibular Canine in a Down Syndrome Patient: A Case Report

“…For snacks, emphasize noncariogenic foods and beverages. Encourage carers to refrain from using sweets as incentives or rewards (Chin et al, 2009;Mubayrik, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2022).…”