Oral health and mild intellectual disability.

Oral health in adolescents with mild intellectual disability.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities have worse health outcomes compared to their peers without. However, regarding oral health parameters, recent systematic reviews reported conflicting evidence. The aim was to assess whether adolescents with MBID differ from their peers in oral health and oral health behaviour.

Methods: Ninety seven adolescents with MBID participated in this comparative study. Outcomes were compared to data of 17-year-old Dutch adolescents (n = 581) from a national epidemiological study on oral health and oral health behaviour.

Results: Adolescents with MBID showed worse oral health outcomes and poorer oral hygiene than their peers from the general population. Furthermore, they visit the dentist less regularly, brush less frequently, eat main-dishes less frequently and have higher levels of dental anxiety.

Conclusion: Adolescents with MBID have poorer oral health and show worse oral health-promoting behaviours than their peers in the general population. Targeted interventions to reach this vulnerable group are necessary.

Summary

Oral health in adolescents with mild intellectual disability was worse than that in the general population. Risk indicators within this group were: older age, female, migrant background, fear of the dentist, institutionalised.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

6 - 8

Time period

19 months

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